


My Diamond

by Seven_Sisters



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Corruption, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-29
Updated: 2017-07-12
Packaged: 2018-08-11 21:45:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 99
Words: 116,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7908709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seven_Sisters/pseuds/Seven_Sisters
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Diamond Authority unleashes its Corruption Song weapon on the Crystal Gems.</p><p>The 2nd war for earth is in its early stages. The Crystal Gems are strategizing while Steven visits his buddies at the barn. The Diamond Authority launches an unexpected pre-emptive strike by unleashing their terrible weapon a second time. Only, something's different about it this time around...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Song

**Author's Note:**

> This is a reboot. I'm new at writing, facfic or otherwise, and I'm learning as I go. This was originally a series but I quickly realized it works better as a single work broken out by chapters.
> 
> 9/17/16 - Finally broke out of my writers block and released 3 more chapters. <whew!>
> 
> 12/14/16 - Still working past the inevitable blocks. I'm writing this one chapter at a time and it's been a fascinating journey. I've received feed back in the comments and I encourage people to give me their critiques. I know about the typos and grammatical faux pas - I'll clean those up once I'm done. Feedback and questions on the story and what not are more than welcome. Thanks to those of you that have reached out and offered your support. It's deeply appreciated. It's your input that has kept me going when the writing gets tough. Kudos to everyone!
> 
> 12/19/16 - To all of you who have offered your support and kind words as I've taken this journey, thank you. I have a project I will be spending time on and will be out of pocket for a while, so no new chapters for a bit - my apologies. Merry Christmas!

Steven stood still, listening intently past the sound of the rain. He felt Connie shiver as she clung to his arm, not sure if she was cold or scared. Both, probably. They didn't plan this out very well. Neither of them had a coat and they were soaked through. This was the sort of thing he would do, but Connie? That's how bad things had become.

Connie pointed abruptly in the same direction that he'd heard the sound, her grip on his arm tightening. He looked and saw what she saw - a figure darting about between the statue debris on the beach. Amethyst. It had to be. Hopefully the others weren't nearby. One corrupted gem was enough. He didn't want to tangle with Ruby or Sapphire just yet. And god help them if Pearl showed up. He shivered at the thought. He didn't know how he knew, but he did. Pearl was dangerous now. Deadly.

* * *

It was just a week ago when the Diamonds unleashed their terrible weapon for the second time. There was no warning, no sense of danger. The gems were at the house, going over their battle plans when the light appeared, glowing, pulsating, spreading its web of madness. It was just dumb luck he was at the barn at the time. They all heard it. A song that engulfed them, its siren call seducing them. It was Lapis who reacted first, grabbing them to her and surrounding them with a bubble of water. "Steven! Your bubble!" she cried out as the water rushed in to protect them.

He was confused at first. The sound was captivating like nothing he'd ever heard. Only now it was muted by the ball of water around him. His body jolted, as if trying to escape from a nightmare, and his bubble quickly appeared, surrounding the trio. Peridot cried out at the sudden silence as if in pain. Lapis seem frantic as well. She lost control of the water and collapsed next to Peridot, her eyes wide with fear and longing.

The bubble began to reverberate, creating a counter resonance to the song that was reaching in trying to take their minds. It was eerily silent inside the bubble and Steven was tempted to lower it. Somehow he knew he mustn't so long as he could see that terrible light. Peridot fell still, sobbing quietly into Lapis' embrace. Steven was suddenly struck by the tenderness of her caress as she shushed at Peridot and held her close. That's right - she was around the last time this happened. That's why she reacted so quickly - that's how she save them.

This time however, the others were caught in the madness of the song. Ruby and Sapphire came apart, looking towards the light, forgetting each other for the first time in millennia. Amethyst stood spellbound, mesmerized by the sound that echoed through her body. Pearl alone cried out. "Rose! Your shield!" she exclaimed then began to float upwards in a slow spiral. She suddenly stiffened and cried out a second time, "My Diamond!" then crashed to the floor, her body rigid and her eyes glowing blue, yellow, green.

The brilliant light glowed like a small, second sun for what seemed an eternity but in reality was mere moments. Then as suddenly as it appeared, it was gone. Steven cautiously lowered the bubble and listened. Nothing but the sound of the wind greeted them. _The Gems!_ he thought suddenly. _They weren't protected by mom's bubble this time! I have to reach them!_ He looked around for Lion, but the beast was no where to be found. Steven grimaced as he wondered fearfully how the song could have affected his loyal friend.

He turned to his companions, just starting to stand. "Lapis!" he cried. "You have to help! I need to go to the gems! You need to fly me there!"

Lapis looked at Steven in confusion then fear. "No, Steven, you can't! They're corrupted now! You can't help them. Nobody can." She turned back to Peridot who was gripping her tightly as if afraid she might disappear like the light.

"I have to, Lapis! They need me!" he exclaimed. She looked at him for an eternity of several seconds then turned her back to him.

"No, Steven. I won't help you in this. You must understand there's nothing you can do. It's too late for them." Spreading her wings, she lifted Peridot into her arms. She looked back at Steven for a second - were those tears in her eyes? - then turned and flew off.

* * *

Greg was sitting out front of It's a Wash, playing his guitar and working on a particularly tricky lyric when the light erupted in the sky. He knew right away this was bad news - the worst kind. Rose told him what happened that day and this looked like what she described - a sudden flash of multi-color light, spreading out across the sky followed by a sound - a song of sorts. _Steven!_ He bolted up right, his guitar clattering on the concrete. _Steven! Where was he? What was happening to him!_

He climbed into his van and struggled to start the engine. He nearly flooded it but it finally roared to life as if it too feared for the worst. He sped off down the road, turning hard left as he passed the Big Donut. Lars and Sadie were staring at the light and Lars jumped back, startled as the van flew by. The rear doors of the van flew open, his gear falling out onto the beach. Greg was barely aware of any of this as he sped up the beach and turned the corner towards the bay.

He stopped at the bottom of the ramp leading to the house. He stepped out and listened. The light was gone now and the sound with it. All he could hear were seagulls in the distance, fighting over some fry bits no doubt. He reached in and grabbed a microphone. He had no idea what he thought he was going to do with it but it felt vaguely like a weapon in his hand. It was reassuring to have something he could defend himself with no matter the absurdity of it.

He started to climb towards the house when he heard something on the beach. A small red figure scurried around the far side of the cliff and out of sight. The thought of who that could be terrified him. Who would he find inside? Mindlessly gripping his microphone-weapon, he ascended further. _There - a sound!_ He stopped, frozen in his tracks. A figure appeared on the deck and looked out with eyes that shimmered in the sunlight.

 _Pearl._ It was Pearl, right? But no, she was different somehow. She stood there, looking out over the ocean towards something only she could see. This wasn't what he was expecting. She started to scan the horizon, staring intently. "My diamond!" she called out, plaintive and pleading, like someone calling out for a lost lover.

He called out to her: "Pearl!" then immediately realized he'd made a serious blunder. She turned her fierce eyes on him. "You!" she cried out and lunged towards him. He dropped his makeshift weapon, turned, ran and jumped back into the van. He had no idea why, but he never shut it down, probably saving his life. He spun the van around and escaped the way he came in. Pearl - no, this thing that only looked like Pearl - chased after him until she reached the beach. She watched him drive away then returned to the deck and continued her search.

* * *

Greg drove in a panic. He knew without understanding why that Steven wasn't at the house. That would have gone much differently if that had been the case. So where? The barn? With Connie? Where? He took a few breaths and forced himself to think. The barn. He'd check there first.

The memory of what he just saw came rushing in with terrifying impact, his thoughts jumbled and stumbling over each other. _Was that, ... Ruby? Then does that mean Garnet...?_ He shook his head as if trying to expel the notion. _No, not Garnet! But then who...?_ He picked up speed, almost tipping the van around corners. _And Pearl! What was that! Who was she looking for! And how could she speak! Weren't corrupted gems mindless? That was that weapon that corrupted gems, right? And where's Amethyst? ___

The one fear he dared not voice lest he give it life rumbled in the back of his mind, growing more urgent with each passing moment. What happened to Steven! He crested a familiar hill and saw the silo in the distance. The driveway appeared and he turned the van into it, hard. He lost control and this time really did come close to tipping over. The van veered into the pasture and finally stopped. Greg looked around confused, then turned back to the dirt road and back to the barn.

He arrived a few seconds later and slid to a stop. He stepped out and listened. It was so quiet, so still. He walked around the barn, stepping carefully not to make any noise. What if Lapis or Peridot were still about? But he saw nothing. Sticking his head in the barn door, he looked around then took a chance: "Steven?" He hid behind a stack - of toilets? What? Shaking his head to bring himself back on focus, he listened. Then he heard it - a small whimper, like a frightened child.

He followed the sound until he found him. A small child, curled up in a fetal position in a corner beneath the hay loft cried softly. He'd seen this before. He collected the child in his arms and took him to the van. He couldn't return to Steven's house, so where should he go?

* * *

He knocked on the door, cradling the infant Steven in his arms. Dr. Maheswaran opened the door and started to greet him but stopped when she saw who he had in his arms. "Greg?" she asked. "Are,... are you okay? Who is that?"

"Priyanka? Can we come in? I didn't know where else to go."

Dr. Maheswaran stepped in and gestured. "Yes, of course. Come in. How can we help you? What happened?"

Greg stepped in and sat on the couch. "It's Steven. He's, ..., reverted again."

"Reverted?" Doug walked in and Connie came bounding down the stairs. She continued. "What to you mean reverted? Is that really Steven?"

Connie's eyes widened and she backed against wall. "Steven? What happened!"

Greg took a breath and told them what he knew. When he was finished, he looked into their stricken faces. "I think that light was the weapon used in the old war," he continued. "It looked and sounded a lot like what Rose described. I think Steven was somehow protected from it and he changed into an infant form. He did that once before - one of those monsters the gems were always fighting gave him a fright and he did this then as well."

Connie took Steven from Greg's arms. "How long do you think he'll stay this way?" she asked, looking at the unfamiliar form. 

"I don't know. It took a couple of weeks last time. It didn't help that Amethyst kept poking him." Greg collapsed his shoulders and seemed to shrink in on himself. Emotionally drained, he began to shut down. Doug made up the couch and between him and Priyanka they managed to get him to lie down. Connie looked down at Steven then back to Greg. _What do we do now_ , she wondered.

* * *

It only took a few days for Steven to return to his familiar self. Greg was convinced it was Connie who made the difference this time. She never left him and cooed into his ears whenever he stirred. That was what he needed and one morning when she awoke, he was sitting on the floor talking to Greg.

"So Pearl is okay then?" he asked?

"I don't know. She looked and sounded like Pearl, but her eyes were all weird and stuff. Besides, I thought corrupted gems can't talk."

"No, they can't. None of ones I met could anyway," Steven answered, lost in thought. "I think something is different this time." He saw Connie standing at the bottom of the stairs and ran to embrace her. "Connie," he cried holding her close. "The gems are all gone now. That song took them!"

Connie and Steven stayed together for the next few days, talking. They always went silent when any of the adults came into the room with them and they were finally left to themselves. It seemed this is what they needed. Greg returned to his van and Steven was allowed to stay as long as he wanted. Their friends from Beach City stopped by to visit and talk and brought the rumors with them.

It seems strange creatures had been spotted wandering the beach. There were three of them - blue, red and purple. They seemed to be drawn to the old temple, coming and going at odd times. No one dared approach them and all tourism had ground to a halt. Everyone was convinced they were dangerous, but no one could think of a time when they ever tried to hurt anybody. Still this was clearly gem stuff and that was enough for most people.

Steven came to a decision. He and Connie approached Jenny and she agreed to help. They sneaked out with her as she left and hid in the back of her car. Connie had Rose's sword and Steven had his shield. They would see what was prowling the beach and ... well, then they would see.

Now they stood in the rain, looking at something that had to be Amethyst. Steven and Connie held hands and danced. Stevonnie stepped forward into the darkness and approached an uncertain future.


	2. Amethyst

Stevonnie stepped forward as the rain beat down even harder. _It's almost as if the sky itself is weeping for her,_ she thought. "Amethyst!" she cried out as loud as she could. "Ow!" The sound of her voice hurt her ears. _I didn't know I could do that!_ She called out again, cupping her hands and directing her voice towards the shape obscured by the rain. It stopped and looked back at her. Stevonnie started to step forward but halted when the form approached her instead. It was Amethyst, alright. But something was wrong.

Amethyst advanced, her eyes blazing. Stevonnie swallowed back on her fear and called out again. "Amethyst! It's me! Stevonnie!"

Amethyst stopped and turned her head sideways. "Stevonnie?" she asked. "Is that you?" Stevonnie nearly dropped her sword. Amethyst could speak? How? She took another, closer look at her friend. Then it dawned on her - she stood upright. Her form was distorted, but it was clearly her. No other corrupted gem retained their regular form so well. Stevonnie didn't know why, but this alarmed her.

"That is you." She suddenly startled and looked around, as if expecting to find someone watching her. Her hair bristled and her hands twitched. She turned back to face Stevonnie. "You're here. Just like she said you'd be. Come here Stevonnie. Let me tell you what she told me."

Steven wanted to go to her, to help his friend, but Connie held back. This was wrong. This was bad. This was Amethyst, but it wasn't. This was something else, something dangerous.

* * *

"Come here Stevonnie! Let me dance with you!" Amethyst suddenly tucked her head and began to spin. Gaining traction, she accelerated towards Stevonnie like a ball of furious earth and mud, her murderous intent obvious. Stevonnie sidestepped the attack, barely, and floated up and away. She was loathed to use her sword on her friend.

"Amethyst!" she called out. "Why are you doing this?" Amethyst slammed into the cliff face where Stevonnie had been standing seconds before then returned to her new form. She looked around as if confused, then looked up.

"There you are, Stevonnie! Watch this! I can fly too!" Amethyst leaped toward Stevonnie, coming at her like a bullet. She drew a whip and struck Stevonnie on her cheek, drawing blood and nearly causing her to come apart. Stevonnie quickly lowered herself to the ground and ran towards the house. She was going to need to be able to control this whole floating thing a lot better than that. She's little more than a target if she can't move around.

"See!" Amethyst called out as she landed on the far side of the beach. "I can fight you!" She cracked her whip and grabbed a loose bit of stone then flung it at Stevonnie. The stone crashed on the ground beside her, causing her to stumble. She turned and dodged a second stone by mere inches. Stevonnie struck out with her hand without thinking and a rush of wind flew towards Amethyst, catching her off guard and slamming her to the ground.

"What was that!" she called out, confused. "You can't do that!" She stood to confront Stevonnie again but she couldn't see her. A second blast of wind caught her and lifted her off her feet. "Ow! How are you _doing_ that!" she cried as the air gripped her like a fist. "Ow! Put me down, Steven!"

* * *

Stevonnie jerked her hand back, dropping Amethyst to the beach. _Steven? She called me Steven... why?_ she wondered, her thoughts whirling through her head like a windstorm. _What made her call out to me like that? And what was I just doing!_ A fresh barrage of stones flew her way and she leapt again, only this time she felt like she had control. She didn't just float, she flew! How?

"That's how you _do_ it, Steven!" Amethyst called out, leaping into the air herself. This time her whip caught Stevonnie and slammed her to the ground. Hard. Stevonnie came apart from the force of the impact and it was just Steven and Connie now.

"You can fly now! Like Rose could! But it's too late. I have you now, Steven! I ... " She suddenly grabbed her head as if in pain. "Steven!" she cried out. "Why are you _here!_ Why did you come? You know she wants to shatter you!" She started to run away but suddenly stiffened. Steven thought he heard a sound, another song. He immediately threw his bubble up around him and Connie and stared as Amethyst turned and advanced on them again.

"Hello, Rose" she said. Her voice was different, hollow, like a small speaker in a large room. "You came back. Sapphire said you would. She always knows these things." The voice ripped through Steven's head as Amethyst continued to advance, her eyes silver pools, her whips trailing behind her.

"Steven!" Connie cried out, "That's - that's Pearl!" Yes - she was right. That _was_ Pearl's voice speaking through Amethyst. But how? And why would Pearl call me Rose? Steven's head hurt. What's going on!

Steven and Connie stood facing their friend. Connie moved first and lunged with Rose's sword, but Amethyst was ready for her. "Stupid girl! I taught you those moves! You can't take me!" With that, she flung her whip around Connie and flung her into the ocean.

"Connie!" Steven began to run to her friend but Amethyst - _Pearl?_ \- cut her off.

"You don't have your sword with you this time, do you Rose? Not like you did with Bismuth. You remember how you cut her down, don't you? But you can't cut me down. You can't defeat me! No, I will shatter you for what you did! I will shatter you for _her!_ I will shatter you for what you did to your diamond! For what you did to _PINK!_ "

Amethyst lunged at Steven but was suddenly struck by a focused blast of energy accompanied by a loud roar. Her form dissipated and her gem fell to the ground. Steven immediately bubbled it - Amethyst liked to reform quickly - then turned to see what just happened.

A shape came forward towards him out of the rain. Pink, with a huge mane. "Lion!" Steven cried out and ran towards his friend then suddenly stopped short. That was Lion, no doubt, but angry eyes glared at him and a low, menacing growl rumbled his way. Steven stood there staring, confused and hurt.

"Lion?"


	3. Lion

Lion was sleeping behind the barn, one of his favorite pastimes. His gem friend was visiting and the sun was just too comfy to ignore. He woke and yawned, considering if he should hang out and wait until the gem was ready to leave. Nah, it was time to find something to eat and he knew just where to go, a place where yummy little gem lizards liked to scurry about. He roared, opening a portal, and stepped through.

He was en route when the diamonds unleashed their fearsome weapon. The gem with the large mane had warned him how dangerous this was for any gem creature, even him, so he remained inside the portal until the light subsided. This was a problem. The gem in its new form wasn't with him and he'd have to go back and find it. He feared what he might find and what he might have to do.

He collapsed as soon as he left the portal, exhausted. Sustaining an open portal for that long was difficult and he was completely drained by the effort. He slept for a full day as he recovered his strength. When he awoke he immediately opened a new portal and continued to his original destination. The gem lizards never knew what hit them.

Sated, he considered his options. He needed to find the gem, but it had warned him what might happen if the light ever returned. The gem may be corrupted. That would be bad. He knew he would have to shatter it if that was the case. That was their deal and he would keep it. He was a lion of his word.

He returned to the house and looked around. None of the gems were present. He checked the barn, but there was no sign of any gems there either. He decided to return to the house and wait. Sooner or later, the gem would return and then he'd know what to do.

* * *

It didn't take long before one of the other gems showed up. The little red one. She was different somehow, misshapen. He lowered himself to the floor and watched out the door as the gem scurried about on beach. Like it was looking for something. He growled to himself, thinking. Should he attack this gem? Or should he wait? He knew his gem friend wouldn't want him to harm this gem, so he remained in the house on alert.

Two more gems appeared from time to time. A blue and a purple one. Sometimes by themselves, sometimes two or three. They were all deformed and their behavior was odd and erratic. He watched as they moved about - always on the beach, never in the house. He continued to wait.

Another gem appeared a few days later, this time on the warp pad. It was the thin one. She wasn't deformed like the others but her eyes were odd. They shimmered in the light as she moved. She stepped off the warp pad then halted when she saw him. He lowered his head and growled.

The gem looked down and spoke. "My diamond?" She looked back at Lion, then continued. "That's her lion ... yes, that's the one. He is always with her, protecting her in this new form ... yes, my diamond." She withdrew her spear from her gem and fired a bolt of energy at him. It struck him in his flank. It hurt. He roared back, unleashing a blast of energy of his own at her, unbalancing her and giving him the time he needed. He opened a new portal and jumped in.

He returned later, only this time he took up position on top of the hill overlooking the beach. It wasn't perfect but it was safer than the house. He watched as storm clouds formed on the horizon. It would be a wet night. He snarled his displeasure and settled in.

* * *

It started to rain. One of the gems, the purple one, was moving around on the beach again. He heard the sound of a car and two doors being opened. Two figures emerged and approached the house along the beach. They were too far away and the rain too heavy for him to make them out. He thought about investigating but that purple gem was dangerous and he didn't want to take unnecessary risks, so he waited. He'd see what happened first.

The rain increased in intensity, obscuring his vision further. But he could hear just fine. His gem friend! Yes, ... no. It was the fusion - the one with the human child. He heard yelling and the unmistakable sound of battle. He rose and ran down the hill and onto the beach. He watched as the fusion and the purple gem battled.

At first it seemed the fusion might win, then it separated. The human child was thrown into the ocean and his gem friend started towards her but the other gem stopped him. He ran out into the ocean and found the girl. He grabbed her by her neck and carefully carried her back to the beach. This was tricky. He held her carefully between his teeth, taking care not to break her skin. But he had to hurry...

He set her down as soon as he could and returned to the two gems battling each other. The purple one was about to attack his gem friend so he unleashed an energy blast at it. His timing was perfect for a change. That or the gem was already pretty beat up. Regardless, he managed to dissipate it. His gem friend bubbled it then turned and saw him. He approached Lion, but Lion wasn't so sure. He lowered his head and growled in warning.

The gem stopped, confused. "Lion?" Suddenly, the human child came running up and grabbed him around the neck. "Steven! You're okay!" Lion relaxed. He walked over, still wary, and sniffed. Yes, it smelled okay. It grabbed him by the neck and started crying. "Lion!" Now he was sure, this was his weepy friend.

He nuzzled the gem and pulled the human child to him as well. They seemed to like that sort of thing. He never really understood this behavior, but he had a promise to keep and it seemed to make them happy. He sat down, hungry all of a sudden. Looked like he was going to have to visit those gem lizards again.


	4. Dreams

Steven walked over and picked up the bubbled gem. "Amethyst," he said, tears welling in his eyes again.

Connie came over and put her hand on the rose colored sphere. "What are you going to do with her, Steven?"

Steven sniffed. "I don't know. I can't leave her like this."

Connie looked at Steven. "You can't unbubble her. She'll just fight you again. She's ..." She looked away. "Anyway, you know what I mean." She looked down, a light blush spreading across her cheeks.

Steven sighed. "I know. I'll just send her to the burning room."

Connie grabbed his hand before he could send it off. "No! Steven! If you do that then Pearl will let her out!"

Steven looked at her, his eyes wide. "You're right." He looked back at the gem then walked over to Lion. He stepped through Lion's thick main and entered the mysterious space within. He carefully placed the bubble within the branches of the acacia tree then stood for a moment. "I'll heal you too, Amethyst" he thought, "I promise." He turned and stepped out of Lion's mane into a cacophony of voices.

"Jenny! You're grounded for life!" Jenny's dad said, scolding his daughter.

"Connie! What are you doing here? Where's your coat? You're soaked!" Connie's mom exclaimed, fretting over her.

"Young lady! What do you think you were doing!" Connie's dad yelled, stepping over his wife's words.

"Steven!" His dad's voice floated over the rest. "Are you okay?"

Steven watched as Connie's parents scolded, hugged and cried over her. Jenny's dad's words were firm but his eyes betrayed his worry. Kiki stood by, wringing her apron then rushed forward to hug her sister. Nanafua fretted with Kofi, trying to calm him down at the same time she was reassuring him his daughter was safe.

Suddenly, Steven felt afraid. That fight with Amethyst was the worst one he ever fought. It was even worse than Bismuth or Eyeball - Amethyst was a friend! He didn't want to hurt her! He didn't want to poof her! But he didn't have a choice. He added Amethyst to his internal list of people he's betrayed. How could he make up for this?

Greg pushed through the group and pulled Steven into his arms. "Steven! I was so worried when Doug called and said you were missing! What happened here?"

* * *

It took a long time to get the story out. Everyone had questions and outrages and tears and hugs and scolds and everything else they were feeling and thinking that wouldn't be denied. Steven and Connie did their best to tell everyone what happened. They'd moved into the Pizzeria and Connie and Steven were wrapped in table clothes, looking and feeling ridiculous. But, Steven had to admit, he did feel a little better now that he was dry and starting to warm up.

When they finally finished, everyone just looked at them. Fear, anger, pride - it was hard to tell what they felt more. It was Doug Maheswaran that finally broke the silence.

"Connie," he said, his voice firm and determined, his resolve absolute. "You are not to see Steven ever again. I will not have him put you in danger like that ever again!" He paused to collect himself then turned and faced Greg. "I'm sorry, but Steven can't stay with us any more."

The room erupted anew. Kofi pretty much laid down the same law to Kiki and Jenny. Connie's mom echoed her husbands words and Connie cried and pleaded with them to change their minds. Greg just looked at Steven with huge eyes filled with dread. Steven didn't know what to say. Doug was right - he couldn't put Connie in danger like that again.

A fresh voice spoke up. " _HEY!_ " The room went silent again as everyone turned to see who it was.

Vidalia was there. Greg had called to see if Steven was with her when he first learned Connie and Steven was missing. It wasn't hard for her to figure out where they were once word of the commotion on the beach reached her. She found her way down to the boardwalk and eventually joined the rest in the store, unseen until now.

"I'll take him." She said once she had their attention. "Steven can stay with me. You too, Greg" she added, looking at her dear friend. This was no time for him to be alone in his van. They'd just have to work the rest of this out later. For now, Steven needed to sleep.

"Steven, let's go" she said, holding out her hand. Steven took it and they left the pizzeria, Greg following behind. They climbed into her car and she drove them to her house, leaving the rest to go their own ways.

Onion and Sour Cream greeted them at the door. Steven told his story again and Onion, still for once, just watched and listened. Sour Cream summed up his feelings with a simple "not cool" then went to help his mom prepare the guest room. Onion looked at Steven and Greg then waved his hands in an indecipherable gesture. Steven never knew what his strange friend was thinking, but understood the intent. "Thank you, Onion" he smiled then followed Vidalia as she led him to his new room.

She tucked him in then directed Greg to the other bed in the room. "That's your bed," she said, pointing. Her concern for her friend was painted over her face. "You can stay as long as you want, okay?" Greg nodded his appreciation and crawled in, not bothering to undress. Soon, father and son were asleep, exhausted.

* * *

Steven's dreams were chaotic. Connie, Amethyst, Pearl - they all flitted in and out. There was no pattern, no structure - just the dreams of a traumatized mind trying to make sense of a world turned upside down. Guilt, shame, anger, fear - his emotions danced about taking odd forms and saying weird things.

"Steven!"

Steven startled. Lapis? That was Lapis, right? Steven listened, his mind quieting, his visions dissolving into the background. "Steven! Where are you?"

Yes, he was right. "Lapis!" he called out. "I'm here! Where are you?" He sprouted helicopter blades and began to fly towards the sound of her voice. There!

"Lapis" he called out again as she began to come into focus. This wasn't a dream anymore. This was like the time she was in the ocean with Jasper. "Lapis!"

She turned and looked at him, not quite seeing him. He suddenly appeared before her and she grabbed him around the neck, the hug of someone who thought she's never see him again. He tensed unconsciously.

"Oh Steven! I've been so worried. I'm sorry! I'm sorry... I mean, I shouldn't have left like that. I should have stayed to help."

Steven woke suddenly, jolting up right in the bed. Lapis! He'd just seen Lapis in a dream - like that time before. He wanted to reach out to her, but he didn't. Why? What was the problem? Then he understood. He was angry with her. _If she hadn't flown off, if she'd stayed like he asked, he could have saved the gems. He could have not put Connie in danger like that. It's her fault!_

He knew he was wrong as soon as he thought it. _No, she was right. The gems are corrupted._ He choked back a sob. _I couldn't save them. And Pearl was probably still there and she's dangerous now. She might have killed me if we'd gone to the house right away._ He felt guilty at being angry with Lapis.

* * *

He returned to sleep. He quickly became aware of what he was doing and, sprouting his helicopter blades again, went in search of Lapis. He found her quickly; this was starting to make sense to him, moving around in his dreams and all. It wasn't easy, but it was straight forward.

Lapis was on a beach, crying. Peridot was with her, holding her hand, but she didn't seem to be aware of him. "Lapis" he called, and she looked up. He could see Peridot's startled expression, her concern increasing.

"Steven?" Lapis answered. "Is that you?"

"Yes, it's me. I'm sorry for leaving last time. I was upset. But you were right. At the barn, I mean. We couldn't go back to the house. It would had been dangerous."

"Oh, Steven. I shouldn't have left you. I was scared. I saw what happened before, the last time this happened. It's bad, Steven. Really bad."

Peridot looked around, confused. "Uh, Lapis? Who are you talking to?"

Lapis hugged Peridot. "It's Steven. He knows how to use his gem to talk to me."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Lapis looked at her friend. "Some gems can talk to each other over long distance using their gems. Only a few gems can do it, however."

Peridot crossed her arms, unconvinced. Lapis continued.

"It's like the diamond line. You know, how you talked to Yellow Diamond? It's the same thing, you just don't need anything to do it."

Peridot started to object, but Steven jumped in. "Lapis! Are you and Peridot okay? What happened to you."

Lapis turned back to Steven. "We're on that island with your watermelon friends. I flew us there when we left. I, I didn't know where else to go. That song is really bad, Steven."

Steven thought for a second. "Can you go back to the barn? We can talk there, okay?" Lapis agreed then dissolved back into a dream. Steven found himself being chased by a huge plate of pancakes smothered in whipped cream and chocolate syrup.

* * *

Steven talked Greg into taking him to the barn in the morning. Greg was reluctant, but Steven pulled out his puppy dog eyes and Greg had no choice but to agree. Lapis and Peridot arrived in the afternoon, Peridot riding on Lapis' back. They set down and Steven immediately filled them in on what happened.

Lapis wrung her hands and paced the floor of the barn. "Steven, we can't stay here! The diamonds are coming and they will shatter us. All of us! We can't fight them."

Peridot objected. "We can't leave, Lapis. This is our home now. We're living here now." Lapis fretted, fussed and worried. Steven pleaded and cajoled and Greg worried. The debate continued for several minutes until Peridot finally had enough.

"Now listen up, Lapis Lazuli! Stop being such a clod! There's nowhere we can go! This is Steven's home and this is _our_ home! Pierre didn't let the beavers run him out of his cabin and we won't either!"

Greg just blinked at that, but Lapis relented. She took her friend's hand in hers. "Yes. Pierre was right and so are you. Ok, Steven, we'll stay and help."

Steven wasn't sure what just happened, but accepted it for what ever it was. "Okay. Thanks." Peridot decided to remain at the barn and practice her skills. Peridot was getting better with her metal powers, but she lacked control. Lapis was teaching her. Steven went back with Greg to Vidalia's home. He need to be with his dad and he suspected his dad needed to be with Vidalia.

* * *

From that night forward, he started to look for Connie in his dreams. She isn't a gem, but Lars isn't either and he was in his dreams. Same with Kiki. It took a couple of nights, but they were finally able to locate each other. They discussed and plotted. They didn't know what they could do, but they knew they had to do something.

A few weeks later, Steven was unable to find Connie. He couldn't find Lapis either. Or Peridot. Or anyone. Something was wrong. He started to fly around when Pearl's head suddenly loomed large in his vision. She turned and looked at him. He froze, unsure what to do. Should he wake up? Should he talk to her? What?

Pearl didn't seem to be aware he was there. Rather, he heard a voice - distant, staticy, like a radio station barely close enough to tune in. "Pearl."

"Yes, my diamond?" the Pearl head answered. Steven tried to listen to the voice through the static but it was hard. Only odd words here and there came through. "Lion", "portal", "ship", "Rose", "Pink". The Pearl head listened intently the whole time, occasionally answering "yes, my diamond" or "as you will, my diamond". Her eyes glistened and glittered, changing with every turn or twist of her head.

Steven became aware of something else - another voice struggling to be heard. Steven flew away from the Pearl head and listened. "Steven" - there it was. A voice. But it wasn't Lapis and Connie couldn't call out to him like this. Who?

"Steven!" The voice became clearer. He know this voice...

"Steven!" So close, so familiar. Who? Steven gripped his temples and squeezed. Who is this? Then suddenly he knew:

"Sapphire?"


	5. Sapphire's Request

"Steven!"

"Sapphire? Is that you?" Steven was confused. This isn't what he expected corrupted gems to be like. They were confused and afraid. They couldn't dream talk like this. They couldn't talk at all.

"Steven! I'm so glad I found you! I don't have much time. You have to listen. This isn't corruption. Not like the last time. It was targeted. They wanted Rose, ... no, you. You and Pearl. The rest of us just got caught their net.

"You have to get Ruby out! I'm their seer - they keep a close eye on me. But they don't respect rubies. They aren't watching her."

Her voice was growing weak. "Sapphire! Where are you?"

"Free Ruby, Steven! Please! I, I have to go. They're almost finished. Hurry!"

Sapphire's voice disappeared completely. Steven floated, confused by what he'd just heard. _Free Ruby? How?_ He needed to talk to Lapis. She might know something.

* * *

Steven sprouted his helicopter wings and flew to the barn, the interference from before seemingly gone now. He found her in the loft with Peridot, reading a magazine. He looked closer ... something about hairstyles? He shook his head; this doesn't matter. "Lapis!"

Lapis looked around. "Steven?" She rubbed her eyes and flew down to the floor of the barn.

Peridot followed, her gem creased in consternation. "Lapis? Is that Steven again?"

Lapis ignored her and stepped out. Yes, there he was with that really strange spinning thing sticking out of his back. Steven was very confusing sometimes.

"Hello, Steven," she said, pulling her wings into her gem. "Why are you here?"

"I spoke with Sapphire. I mean I was dreaming about Pearl and she was there, but she wasn't, but I could hear her! And we talked but she was just saying stuff about a net and now I have to save Ruby. Can you help?"

Lapis looked at him, confused. "Is Ruby in a net? Is she in water? I'll just move it."

"No, I don't think so. She's with the others but she's not being watched and Sapphire said I need to hurry."

Peridot was becoming frustrated. "Uh, Lapis? What's going on?"

"Oh. Steven was telling me about how Sapphire was talking to him but she wasn't really there. She's with Pearl or something. But she says we can, ... what Steven? ... oh, I don't know anything about that ..."

"Lapis!" Peridot fumed, stamping her foot and causing several cans to scatter.

"Oh, yeah. I'm sorry. Steven says we need to save Ruby. The corruption this time is different than before. He says they targeted him and Pearl and that Crystal gems can all talk. Pearl seems to be talking to one of the diamonds."

"Oh. That wasn't a corruption bomb then. It was a thralling bomb. I can see why you would think it's the same thing."

"Did you hear that Steven? It was a thralling bomb."

"No, I didn't. I can't hear Peridot. Only you. What's a trawling bomb?"

"Okay. Peridot, Steven can't hear you. What's a thralling bomb?"

Peridot grabbed her head. This was so confusing. "A thrall takes over a gem's ability to act independently. Her memory is intact and all, but she is controlled by another gem. It looks like corruption because gems can't think very well and they can't form correctly. But it's not the same.

"I saw a gem enthralled once." She paused for a second, then continued. "They must have used a bomb because they weren't sure where you were and anyway they wanted to try and capture all of us at once."

"How can we free Ruby then?"

"Oh, that's not possible."

"Peridot!" This time it was Lapis who was upset. "You can't say that to Steven. There has to be a way!"

"Well, maybe. Single rubies aren't very useful. They're so _dumb!_ Am I right? And they're weak. That's why they are never sent out by themselves."

Peridot stopped and thought for a second. "We may be able to if they aren't protecting her. But it won't be easy. Steven needs to come to the barn so I can explain. I'm not going to do this thing anymore!"

* * *

Lion gave Steven a ride out to the barn in the morning. Lapis met him when he arrived and took him to the back where Peridot had some complicated drawings on a green black board. Arrows and circles with cryptic symbols were scattered about almost at random. Peridot was looking at it, arms crossed, evidently pleased with her work. She turned as Steven came in.

"Oh, hello, _Steven._ " Peridot chuckled at a joke only she seemed to be aware she was making. "I think I know how we can free Ruby. It won't be easy."

"First we need to get her away from the house. If Pearl is anywhere nearby we'll all be in trouble. If she is talking to a diamond, then she is probably the link between her diamond and the others."

Steven sat on the edge of a chair and grabbed a bag of Chaaaaps brand potato chips from his backpack. He munched while Peridot continue to explain her plan.

"We can bring her here. Lapis can create a bubble of water around her but she'll make her fire and the whole thing will be a mess. We won't have much time for you to free her, Steven."

Steven stopped eating. "Me? What can I do. I don't have any powers."

Peridot snickered. "Oh, Steven, you're so funny!" Steven looked at her with a confused look on his face. "Oh, you're serious. You have to fuse with her. I mean, it's just _obvious._ "

"Fuse? How? She won't let me!"

Peridot snickered again. "I know, right? You have to make her think you're Sapphire!"

Now both Steven and Lapis were looking at Peridot like she'd lost her mind. Peridot looked that their expressions and put her hands on her hips.

"What? Steven just needs to wear a blue frilly dress!" This time, Peridot fell over laughing. "Ruby is so confused right now, she won't know the difference! Ha ha ha ha ha!"

Lapis started to snicker and finally joined Peridot on the ground, holding her sides and laughing hard. Steven just looked confused. "Where will I find a dress like that?"

It took a full twenty minutes before the two gems were able to get control of themselves.


	6. Blue Dress

Steven waited until Lapis and Peridot stopped laughing. "How will fusion help Ruby, Peridot? I don't understand."

Peridot wiped away the last of her tears and answered. "That's the hard part. You have to fuse and then remove the thrall. But you need to be careful. Whoever is controlling her will know when the thrall is being tampered with. She may try to catch you too."

Steven was concerned. "How do I do that? And they will get me too?"

"You can't do it alone. I could, but you can't."

"So _you_ fuse with Ruby! You can remove the trawl."

Peridot blushed, and looked away. "Um, I can't fuse Steven." She tapped the tips of her fingers together. "I mean, I tried with _Garnet_ but it didn't work."

"Well, you need to learn how then!" Steven exclaimed. "I couldn't at first either but the gems helped me and ..."

" _I CAN'T STEVEN! I'M NOT A CRYSTAL GEM!_ " Peridot yelled then quickly clamped her mouth shut and gulped. She ducked by behind Lapis then peeked around and continued.

"I mean, I _am_ the leader of the Crystal Gems and all, but ..."

She stepped out from behind Lapis and pointed at Steven. "Look. I just can't. _Okay?_ "

Steven put his hands on his hips and said. "No! Not okay! I couldn't dream talk and now I can. And you didn't have metal powers but you do. So you can. You just have to try."

"It doesn't matter. Ruby won't fuse with me. She's confused but she knows me. She won't be fooled. That's why you have to do it." Peridot crossed her arms and turned her head away, her eyes closed with determination. "That's just the way it is, Steven."

* * *

Lapis just shrugged, so Steven dropped the subject. "So how about the dress. Where do I get that?"

Lapis answered this time, sparing Peridot further embarrassment. "Do you have any friends that can help?"

Steven considered then said, "Oh yeah. I know! Lion!"

Running out of the barn, he climbed on his friend's back. Taking his firmest tone (Lion didn't always do what he wanted) he told Lion where he wanted to go. "Lion. Take Me To The Big Donut." Lion flicked an ear, stood and opened a portal with a roar.

He emerged in front of the Big Donut then waited while Steven climbed down. "Thank you Lion. You wait here." Steven ran into the store and Lion went to see what a gaggle of seagulls were on about.

"Sadie!" Steven exclaimed as he entered the store. Lars was coming out of the back. "Oh, hi Lars!"

Sadie looked up as her friend bounded through the door. "Hello Steven. Are you here for some donuts? We have some fresh ones that will be ready in a few seconds."

"No. While a donut _would_ be good and a growing boy like me needs to eat, ... I'm here about something else." Steven answered, watching as Lars set down a tray of freshly fried dough.

"Are you sure Steven?" Sadie asked, dipping each one by hand into a glaze and covering with sprinkles.

"Ummmmm, okay. You make a good argument. I'll take three." Sadie handed Steven three freshly baked donuts.

"So why are you here, Steven?" Lars asked as he lean over the counter, a hint of sarcasm in his voice as always.

"Oh yeah! Sadie! I need a dress. A blue one. And frilly."

Lars threw back his head and laughed derisively. "A dress! Steven! What do you want a dress for?"

Sadie gave Lars an annoyed look then turned back to Steven. "Yeah, Steven. What do you need a dress for?"

Steven answered between bites. "I need it so I can save Ruby ... she's trolled or something and Sapphire ... wants me to help ... and Peridot says ... I need a dress ... that looks like hers ... like Sapphire's I mean."

Sadie thought while Steven finished the rest of the donuts. "You mean the little blue gem? The one that's part of Garnet, right? Oh. Well, I have a blue dress but it doesn't look like hers."

Sadie turned to Lars. "I'm going to take Steven to my house to see if I can find something for him." Lars started to object but Sadie flashed him a warning. He relented muttering under his breath how he has to do everything around the store and Sadie and Steven left for her house.

They went into her basement and she started rummaging through her closet, pulling out a blue dress with short sleeves after a few seconds.

"How about this" she asked, blushing slightly. "I don't wear it that often. You can have it if you want."

Steven held it up to his body and looked in the mirror. "I think this will work."

Sadie looked at him with an odd expression. "Uh, okay."

* * *

Sadie returned to the Big Donut and Steven went in search of Lion. He found him a few minutes later carefully investigating a Portuguese Man o' War that had washed up on shore. Seagulls argued over the carcass of a horseshoe crab, scattering as Steven ran along the beach and returning once he had moved past.

It took Steven several minutes to talk Lion into returning to the barn, but he finally obliged. Steven ran into the barn and showed Peridot the dress. "Here, Peridot. Will this work?"

Peridot scratched her chin as she examined it. "Well, it's not fancy," she started but quickly changed up when Steven started to scrunch his face. "But that's okay. We can add some meep morp to it and it will be fine." Steven smiled at that and she relaxed.

They rummaged the barn and found some old sewing supplies and material. A few changes here and there and they had a dress that looked like Sapphire's. Sort of.

Steven put the dress on. It was a little tight around the middle but fit otherwise. He looked in a mirror and worried out loud.

"I don't know, Peridot. This isn't the same as Sapphire's and I don't really look like her anyway. I mean, she has that hair and only one eye."

Peridot looked at Steven and considered. "Ruby's a ruby so she's dumb"

"No she's not!"

"and she's enthralled, so she's confused. You can shape shift, so make your hair longer and we'll paint it. If she wants to see your eye, just make one small."

Steven was unconvinced and more than a little nervous about the whole thing. He looked to Lapis for support but she just looked back and nodded. Steven sighed and looked in the mirror again.

"Ok, I'll try. But I still don't know how I'll remove the troll"

"thrall"

"from Ruby."

Peridot looked around, avoiding Steven's gaze. "Um, I've been thinking about and I have a plan. We need to bring Ruby here first."

* * *

Lapis spoke up. "You can't help with that, Steven. She can't see you too early and it's too risky for you to go anyway. You said they were targeting you, so they'll be extra careful to look for you now that you poofed Amethyst."

Steven winced at the sound of his friend's name, but Lapis continued, not noticing his discomfort.

"But they don't know about us. So we'll hang out at the house and wait for for her to show up and then bring her here. It'll be easy! You wait here then change your hair when we get back and we'll paint it. Then you can fuse with Ruby."

"How long will this take?" Steven wondered.

Lapis considered his question. "That depends on how long it takes for Ruby to show up. If Pearl is there, we won't be able to do anything. So it might be a while."

Steven nodded. "Then I need to stay here. I'll need supplies first. And a bed. Do you have one?"

Peridot pointed at a hammock hanging from the ceiling of the barn. "Can you use that?"

Steven pondered it thoughtfully. "No. I need a mattress like what I have at home. We'll need to look around the barn." It didn't take long before a makeshift bedroom was made up for Steven and he nodded his approval.

Armed with a plan, and plenty of snacks for Steven, Lapis and Peridot flew out to the house and took up watch. Two days later Steven heard something and stepped out side to investigate. A cloud of smoke was visible on the horizon then the sound became clear. Peridot was running towards Steven, yelling.

" _AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!! STEVEN!!! GET THE PAINT!!!_ "


	7. Ruby

Lapis carried Peridot to the hill overlooking the beach. They'd discussed where they should wait for Ruby to show up and decided to avoid the house and the beach. Pearl's behavior suggested she was in a full thrall with one of the diamonds making her particularly dangerous. It wouldn't do to tangle with her.

Lapis turned to Peridot. "What do you think they're doing. Pearl and her diamond, I mean."

Peridot stepped down onto the top of the temple statue and looked about. "Probably getting ready for the invasion. Pearl probably belongs to Yellow Diamond now since she has the army."

Lapis joined Peridot on the statue's head and sat next to her. "How does that work, though? Is thralling new?"

"Yes, it's something home world came up with after the rebellion. The diamonds didn't want gems being able to disobey like that again. So now they have a way to take over a gem if necessary."

Peridot laid on her stomach and looked over the edge of the statue. "They really need to fix that roof. It's got some loose panels."

Lapis sat, looking out over the ocean, seemingly lost in a memory. She returned her attention back to Peridot after a few minutes. "But, how does it work? What is it?"

"Well, I only know what I've read. But, ..." Peridot paused to consider her words. "So you know how your gem works, right? What it felt like when you first emerged? All of your data just sort of came together all at once and you knew who you were and what you were made for."

Lapis nodded. It was like that for all gems. They didn't exist and then they did. She knew she was a lapis lazuli gem and that she was made to serve Blue Diamond. She had no idea _how_ she knew any of that, she just did. Her memories of before really weren't memories so much as feelings that swirled and tumbled about, eventually coalescing into sentience at her emergence.

Peridot continued. "Our awareness is constructed from within our gem and is integral to who we are. The thrall sits on top of that. It sends little tendrils of semi-conscious energetic waves that interface with our own sentience. It allows one gem to insert commands into the mind of another gem which are interpreted as her own.

Peridot leaned over a little further to get a somewhat better view of the area below them. "It's usually not a perfect fit so enthralled gems are erratic and ill-formed. However, a thrall can be ... tweaked, to conform to a particular gem _if_ the gem doing the tweaking has the necessary information about that gem. It seems that what happened to Pearl. Who ever configured this thralling bomb had her specifically in mind. _Whoooaaaa...!_ "

Peridot had begun to slip off the edge of statue but Lapis quickly grabbed her and pulled her back to safer ground. "Thank you, Lapis" Peridot said, pretending her little mishap was no big deal. She continued.

"Corruption was the first version of this technology. It works much the same way except that it is a lower frequency and less focused. It basically just resonates inside the gem's awareness and confuses everything. Gems forget who they are and why they exist. Actually, the corruption song just gets in the way, substituting itself here and there inside the gems consciousness, mimicking memories and feelings and obscuring real ones."

She moved to a different part of the statue, taking care this time not to get too close to the edge. "Corruptions and thralls are contagious. Fusing with a corrupted gem allows the implanted song to replicate in any gem that has overlaid its sentience with a gem that is infected. That's what happened to Jasper. And they're supposed to be impossible to remove once a gem is infected."

She stopped suddenly, then continued. "Actually, I didn't know that last part. About being contagious, I mean. I kind of did but I wasn't sure. It wasn't until Jasper became corrupted that I knew I was right."

She paused again, as if considering something. "But I've been thinking. It's more than just what the records say. We gems have the ability to think for ourselves. We have to, otherwise we wouldn't be able to function. There are too many gems with so many purposes. No one central authority can manage all of them at once. Instead we are able to function autonomously. But that's a problem. I think you know what I mean."

Lapis considered Peridot's words. "Yes. We want to _'do our own thing'_. That's what Connie called it. Having sentience and being able to act independently works against us being little more than obedient robots doing what we're told."

Peridot gave Lapis a huge smile, obviously pleased that her friend knew what she was driving at. "Exactly! Gem society is a hierarchy with the Diamonds at the top, the elites below them, the techies below them and the workers at the bottom. No one is treated unfairly, but no one is allowed to step out of that hierarchy."

Lapis interjected. "But, since we are made with sentience and the ability to act on our own, we have that desire to _'step out'_."

Peridot continued. "Yes. Our sentience has a built in safeguard that works against that impulse. It gives us a sense of purpose to fulfill the role we were made for. The two parts of us are always at war with each other. That's the secret to breaking free of the thrall."

Lapis looked at her friend thoughtfully. Peridot was a bit odd but she was familiar with gem technology. She wondered how Peridot was going to help Ruby. Maybe she did have a plan.

"Peridot," Lapis asked. "How are we going to catch Ruby? She may be a ruby and not very smart but she's still a gem."

"Oh, that's the easy part. We just get her to chase us back to the barn."

Lapis turned her head sideways, and answered with a simple "Oh."

* * *

The two gems took up different stations and waited for Ruby to show up. Things were quiet at first. A few intrepid townsfolk wandered out to comb the beach or wade in the Atlantic waters. A few approached the cape but no one dared to venture further than The Big Donut. Seagulls called out as they squabbled over bits of food or other debris. Peridot and Lapis were bored but they waited.

They heard the distinctive song of a warp pad being activated a while later, putting them on their guard. They scrunched down to the top of the statue and peered over carefully. At first there was nothing except the muffled sound of someone in the house. Pearl most likely. They were careful to be quiet as they listened for any indication that she might come out. They were surprised by a sound coming from an unexpected direction. The gem carved on the top of the statue began to glow and Pearl appeared, spear drawn.

Peridot turned and exclaimed "A warp pad?" then was struck by an energy blast, knocking her back and off the statue. Lapis pulled a hand of water from the ocean and caught her, lowering her to the beach then turned her attention to Pearl. She formed two watery figures that looked like Pearl and began to attack. Pearl evaded the two figures and immediately bounded down the side of the cliff towards the beach and Peridot.

Lapis wasn't the only one who could summon helpers. Pearl created four holo projections and they immediately took on the watery clones Lapis was controlling. Pearl focused her attention on Peridot who was running around trying to avoid Pearl's spear blasts. Her strategy became immediately clear. She knew Lapis was incredibly powerful, especially right next to the beach like this and understood she couldn't take her on directly. She considered Peridot weak, however, and figured if she could dissipate her form or shatter her if necessary, Lapis would be disheartened and abandon her attacks. And in any event, she'd have eliminated one troublesome gem at the very least.

But she had made a miscalculation. She knew Peridot had metal powers, but thought them not very well developed nor particularly strong. She wasn't aware that Peridot had been practicing with Lapis, learning to control her powers and extend her abilities. She was actually quite powerful by this point, but unfortunately there wasn't much metal for her to work with on the beach. The conflict between the three gems was largely a stalemate to start. Lapis couldn't contain Pearl and Pearl couldn't defeat Peridot who in turn didn't have anything to fight back with. Still, Pearl's strategy was slowly working as two more holo projections prowled around, corralling Peridot against the cliff wall.

"Lapis - get me to the boardwalk!" Peridot called out, dodging another blast from Pearl's spear. Lapis thought for a second, then smiled and swooped down to rescue her friend. She flew her to the boardwalk and turned to face their pursuers. Pearl advanced with her projections when suddenly a giant tea cup came crashing down. Pearl was dangerous, but Peridot was in the fight now and the two felt they may actually stand a chance against her. The battle continued for several minutes and they held their own against Pearl and her holo army. Peridot's abilities were crude however. She was much more capable of manipulating the metal around her but she lacked finesse and fine control. She mostly just hurled things at Pearl. It was enough though to allow Lapis to move in and mount her own water attacks. Pearl kept having to recreate holo-projections taken out by her opponents and for a brief moment, it looked like they might actually prevail.

"Enough!" Pearl called out then touched her fingers to her gem. _Ruby!_ They heard the call but not as sound. Rather, a song resonated within their minds as Pearl reached out for reinforcement. _Ruby. Come to me. I need assistance._ Pearl then turned her attention back to her attackers and touched her gem a second time. Lapis and Peridot suddenly grabbed their heads as a loud screeching noise reverberated in their minds. Lapis threw a column of water at Pearl, knocking her off balance and halting the sonic attack.

This was bad. The discordant noise wasn't particularly dangerous in itself but it was extremely disorienting. With Ruby in the fight, things would get ugly. Peridot didn't think too highly of Ruby but Lapis knew better. This Ruby was different and would be a serious threat. She and Peridot had no chance against Pearl and Ruby working together, especially with this sonic attack Pearl was using. They would have to beat a hasty retreat.

Lapis started to go to Peridot in order to fly them both to safety when Pearl suddenly stopped and turned to look back towards the house. Ruby had emerged from somewhere and was approaching, but Pearl didn't seem to notice. Rather, she seemed fixated on something only she could hear. She suddenly straightened and called out. "Yes, my diamond! Right away" she exclaimed then immediately ran back towards the temple as Ruby was arriving at the boardwalk. _Shatter them!_ the song in their head commanded and Ruby turned and flashed angry red eyes.

Lapis and Peridot couldn't believe this unexpected turn of events. Pearl was gone and Ruby stood before them. It was exactly what they were planning on in the first place. And, Ruby was bound and determined to shatter them so getting her to chase them wasn't going to be difficult at all!

"Run back to the barn!" Lapis called out as she lifted herself into the sky. "Let's get back to Steven!" Ruby faltered for a second at the sound of Steven's name but quickly resumed her attack. Balls of fire crashed around Peridot as she ran through the town and towards the barn where Steven was awaiting them. Lapis followed, extinguishing the fires Ruby ignited as she chased Peridot. They finally made it to the barn and Peridot saw Steven in the distance. " _AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!! STEVEN!!! GET THE PAINT!!!_ "


	8. Fusion

Steven took in the scene unfolding before him. Peridot was running up the hill in a full sprint, panic covering her face. Ruby was following behind her, leaving a path of smoldering charcoal and lobbing fire bombs. Lapis was grabbing water wherever she could find it and dousing fires left and right. And all of this was headed straight for him.

 _Ruby!_ He remembered - he's supposed to fuse with Ruby and get her away from a troll or something. _Oh, no! Oh, no!_ he thought as he ran around in a circle, waving his arms totally unsure of where he was going or what he was supposed to do next.

"Steven!" Peridot called to him. "Your hair! And your dress! Get your dress and grow your hair! We'll get the paint! Aaaaahhh!" she cried out as a fireball landed in front of her and bounced into the side of the barn.

"Hurry Steven", Lapis called out, pulling water from the little "lake" Peridot had made for her awhile back and extinguishing the flames starting to lick at the barn siding. She grabbed the rest of the water and surrounded Ruby in a bubble.

"This won't last long, Steven!" she called. "I'm running out of water to put out her fires! Hurry!"

Steven snapped out of his confusion and immediately pulled Sadie's dress over his head. He grew his hair until it was down past his hips and, squinting for a second, caused it to turn a pale blue color. Peridot ran up to him, paint can in hand, and stopped. "Oh. When did you learn how to do that?" she asked. Steven just shook his head and pointed at Ruby.

"Put her down Lapis and release the water," he called out then swallowed as Ruby emerged, steam obscuring her appearance. He saw her form a fresh fire ball as she looked around for Peridot.

"Ruby!" Steven called out. "Ruby! It's me!" Ruby turned towards him then suddenly stopped, the fire in her hand disappearing with an audible _poof_. Steam whiffed away as she stood wide eyed, enraptured with Steven's visage.

"S-Sapphy?" she answered, confused. "Sapphy? Is that you? Where did you come from? Ahh!" She grabbed her head, confusion biting at her like angry ants. "Sapphy!" she called again, the pain in her voice palpable. "Where are you? I can't see, Sapphy! I can't ... ahhhh!" She dropped to her knees in pain and confusion, tears streaming down her face.

Steven cried out and ran to her where they embraced. Steven had fusion danced with others in the past - Connie, Amethyst - but this was different. It was tender. It was desperate. It was familiar. It was foreign. Ruby pulled him close to her and they spun. They held each other tight, crying and laughing until they were enveloped in light. A potent wave of emotions - relief, joy, fear, confusion - overwhelmed him, carrying him where it would. He was a barrel going over a water fall - he had no idea where he was going to end up but he was filled with joy at the possibilities. His fusions with Connie paled in comparison with this. This was Garnet. He had no idea.

A voice suddenly cried out, jarring and intrusive. It nearly broke them apart. "Eeeeeeee! I did it! I did it! Steven!" _Peridot? Where did she come from?_

Ruby flinched, the fusion suddenly unstable. Peridot's voice softened as if whispering. "She's still confused Steven. Keep talking to her. I'll deal with the thrall. Don't come apart until I'm done or we'll never be able to save her!"

Steven needed no prompting. The closeness he felt with Ruby was returned a hundred times over. Her love for Sapphire was like nothing he'd ever experienced. It swallowed him whole and he felt himself beginning to dissolve. He wasn't Steven any more. _This isn't Ruby. She ... who am I? Where am I? I was in the house. I was ... I remember. I do, I ... What happened? Where's Sapphire? I heard the song! I heard the song. It was the song from before but, no, not the same. It was different? The song took Pearl! It was so beautiful. I still hear it. I still ... where's Sapphire? The song. It was ..._

Lapis watched as a new fusion struggled to find herself in the grip of the thrall. The form was vague and confused, colors coming and going like a chameleon on acid. She spun around, hair growing and receding, arms sprouting for a brief time only to be reabsorbed. Steven and Ruby were lost in each other as Peridot struggled to undo the damage in her mind. It was a nasty piece of work but it didn't fit quite right. This was meant for Pearl, not Ruby. That was key to removing it.

 _Steven! I'm so confused... where's Sapphire? I, ..., wait. The song. I hear it. It's different now. It's jarring. It doesn't fit me. This doesn't belong here! Sapphire! The song! It has Sapphire!_ The fusion shuddered and began to visibly pull apart. Steven regained his sense of himself and recognized the danger. No! _Ruby! Stay with me! Stay ... Yes, I have to stay together. I have to fight the song. I remember, ... I remember. The song took us, it broke us apart. It ... this song doesn't belong here! It has to go! I want to be me! I want to be free! No! No! No! I will not listen to this! I ... the song, it's not a song any more. What? Peridot? Wait! The song, it's fading. It's fading? Where's Sapphire? Steven! Where's Sapphire! Ahhhh!_

Steven suddenly felt himself ripped away from the fusion. The unexpected separation was incomprehensible, confusing. Tears welled up and flowed down his face as he began to process what just happened. Slowly, he regained himself, the fusion receding into a memory. He shot up with a jolt. "Ruby!" _Oh no! The fusion! We came apart!_ "Peridot! We came apart! We have to fuse again! We have to save Ruby!"

Peridot lay on her back, woozy. "No, it's okay Steven. We did it. Well, you did it. I mean the fusion did it. Oh, I don't know. It's done! Uh!"

Ruby sat up slowly and looked around, confusion and fear vying to find expression in her eyes. "Steven ... ? What happened? Where am I?"


	9. Answers

Ruby looked around then turned to Steven. "Why are you wearing a dress?"

Peridot sat up and answered instead. "Oh, I can explain that. You see, you were enthralled"

"What?"

"and Steven had to fuse with you to fix that."

_"What?" ___

Steven laughed nervously and gestured to the dress. "Yeah. I had to dress like Sapphire so you'd fuse with me."

_"WHAT?" ___

"Then Peridot joined the fusion and..."

_**"WHAT!"** _

The ground beneath Ruby exploded into flames as she leapt to her feet. She brought forth a gauntlet and turned to confront Steven and Peridot.

"You did what!?! You _fused_ with me? You pretended to be Sapphire and _fused_ with me!?!"

Peridot looked at Steven then back to Ruby. "Well, yeah. It's like I said, you were enthralled and we..."

"Don't give me that! You _fused_ with me! You! Of all gems! I can't believe it! Ahhh! I'll dissipate you for that!"

She started form a fresh fire ball when she suddenly found herself in Lapis' watery grip.

"No. You listen here, you ... you clod!". Peridot looked at her a little hurt. _That's my word..._ "You were corrupted!"

"Enthralled" Peridot offered, helpfully.

"Not now, Peridot! You were corrupted. Do you understand what I'm saying? How do you think you got here? Where's Sapphire? Why aren't you Garnet! So cool your turbine engines"

"Jets." This time Steven tried to help.

 _"Not now!"_ Lapis rubbed her eyes. "Listen. You were corrupted. Steven and Peridot healed you. Think about what I'm saying!"

Ruby stopped struggling, but her look of defiance remained.

Steven stood up and spoke. "It's true, Ruby! You were caught by that song. Don't you remember?" Ruby's expression told him she did. "You were caught by that song and you and Sapphire came apart. You were being controlled. We had to heal you."

"But you _fused_ with me Steven. _She_ fused with me! I, ..."

Lapis resumed speaking, cutting her off. "Yes, Ruby, they did. They had to! Sapphire _asked_ them to!"

Ruby suddenly stopped struggling and looked at Lapis. She turned to Steven and asked "Is that true, Steven? Did she really ask you to fuse with me?"

Steven nodded, then shook his head. "She begged me to free you. This..." He looked down for a second, then back up at Ruby. "This was the only way. We _had_ to fuse with you, Ruby. We just had to."

The fight left Ruby and her gauntlet disappeared. "Put me down, Lapis. I won't fight any more."

She fussed and fretted for a few more minutes then finally asked.

"So, um, how did you heal me? I thought you couldn't heal corrupted gems."

Everyone turned to look at Peridot. "Yeah,", Steven spoke up. "How _did_ you do that?"

Peridot looked around and swallowed. "Well, when I fused..."

"Hey! That's right! I thought you couldn't fuse!" Steven suddenly realized.

"Well, no, I can't. I mean, I've wanted to," she glanced at Lapis, "but I haven't been able to. I couldn't fuse with Garnet and nobody else, um, ... Anyway, I knew you couldn't remove the thrall by yourself, so I had to try. I thought that if you and Ruby fused, I could, you know, join in." She blushed as she looked at Ruby then turned away.

"It doesn't matter anyway," she huffed. "I joined your fusion and I started to isolate the thrall..."

This time Ruby interrupted. "You keep saying that. What is that?"

"Um, a thrall is like corruption, the same thing really, but more focused. A higher frequency that allows one gem to control another."

Ruby was aghast. "Con-control? What do you mean ... control?"

It was Peridot's turn to look confused. "You know. Control. To make someone do something." She looked around. "Control! Look, the diamonds have a new weapon. It's like corruption but it's more focused. It not only confuses gems, it makes them susceptible to doing what other gems tell them."

"That's what I had?"

" _Yes!_ You were infected with the thrall!" She looked at Steven as if to say _see, I told you rubies are dumb._ She continued.

"Anyway... I joined your fusion and you thought Steven was Sapphire ..." She gulped at Ruby's renewed expression of anger. "You were distracted. See what I mean? So I was able to move around independently..."

"Independently! You were fused with me and doing stuff without my knowledge? Oh, this is just getting better all the time!" 

"Yes, independently ... so I was able to interact with the thralling song. It's a complex tonal algorithm that slowly recurses. It, ..." She looked around at all the blank expressions and rubbed her forehead.

"It's like a song that repeats itself. Each time it repeats, it takes over a little bit more of the infected gem's mind. The song is constructed so that it reinforces a gem's desire to serve her designed purpose and suppresses her ability for independent action. The higher frequency allows the two gems to communicate back and forth."

The rest of the gems listened intently, intrigued and appalled in equal measure. Peridot kept going.

"So, I was able to interact with the thrall. But it was tricky, right? I couldn't do anything at first, it just keep repeating. Whoever designed it was good. So, I decided to just listen to it and cause it to dilute itself between the three of us. I was, um, caught in it too for a bit because the designers anticipated normal fusion but they forgot about multiple fusions. That allowed me to parse it and listen to it's different parts rather than be swallowed up by the entire song at once."

Ruby and Steven were holding hands as they listened, neither aware of what they were doing. Lapis sat quietly as Peridot resumed her explanation.

"That's when you were able to resist it. Your desire to be yourself reasserted itself. The song was dispersed between the three of us and you only heard a part of it. So you started to reject it. You too Steven. You weren't each other, right? You were ... Stoovy? Reeven? ... anyway you were the fusion and so you both did it. I, um..." Peridot flushed a bright green. "I was part of the fusion too, so I helped also. It was ..."

She suddenly stopped and ran over to Lapis, hugging her tightly. She took her by the hands and spoke as tears ran down her cheeks.

"Oh, Lapis! I know what you told me about Malachite, but this wasn't _like_ that! This was different! You should fuse with Ruby too!" She missed Ruby's flash of anger. "Or _me!_ I ... we ... look ... oh, Lapis!" she hugged her friend again and cried harder. Lapis' back was rigid in Peridot's embrace but she didn't push her away. She found Steven's teary eyed smile somehow irritating and sweet all at the same time. She hesitantly patted Peridot on head and finally just settled for looking embarrassed.

Steven thought about what Peridot has said. "So, does that mean I can heal corrupted gems this way? Can we heal Amethyst?"

Peridot released Lapis but held her hand. Lapis surprisingly didn't pull away.

"No, I don't think so Steven."

"Why not?"

"Well, Ruby was a special case. She thought you were Sapphire ..." Ruby started to react again but this time it was Peridot who was angry.

"Yes! Steven pretended she was Sapphire! He _had_ to! That's the only reason this worked! Do you even understand how dangerous this was for him? How dangerous it was for _me?_ "

Peridot suddenly stiffened with the realization of what she'd actually done. Her eyes widening as she realized she'd just about allowed herself to be enthralled. The rest of the group, Ruby included, understood as well. Ruby's anger abruptly deflated.

"Yeah. Um. So anyway, Ruby thought you were Sapphire and was completely distracted. That won't happen with Amethyst or Jasper or any of the corrupted gems. They'll hold back I think and the song will simply replicate itself unfettered in the new mind. Even with three of us, it wouldn't work. Maybe with four ... no, ..."

Ruby spoke up, uncharacteristically subdued.

"What about Sapphire. I ... we" she shot a look at Peridot " ... we could do the same thing for her that you did for me."

Peridot turned her deepest shade of green yet. "Well, yeah, maybe. But that won't be possible. Pearl and her diamond didn't mind losing a ruby but they won't let us anywhere near Sapphire."

The four of them sat for several long minutes, each lost in their own thoughts. Finally Ruby turned to Steven.

"Would you _please_ take off that dress?"


	10. Bad News

Peridot turned to Steven and fidgeted. "Um, Steven? There's more."

Steven looked at her and she continued. "So, you remember I said was caught up in the enthrallment?" Steven nodded.

"Well, I was in contact with Pearl."

"Pearl!?! What do you mean?"

"Pearl was the one controlling Ruby. But it really wasn't Pearl. It was the diamond controlling her. The thrall was designed for Pearl specifically, so she is under her diamond's complete control. This is a high quality thrall, too. Not only can her diamond control _her,_ she can control whoever Pearl is connected to. Like Ruby or Sapphire. That's why she was talking to you when you fought Amethyst. Only, that wasn't Pearl talking to you - it was her diamond."

Peridot sniffed, unconsciously squeezing Lapis' hand. "We've lost her, Steven. We've lost Pearl."

Steven looked at Peridot, unsure how to react. "What to you mean, Peridot?"

"She's gone Steven. That thrall was for her. It's a perfect fit for her. It's ... it's part of her now. We can never remove it."

Steven started to scrunch up, but Peridot continued.

"But that's not what I wanted to tell you. I heard them talking."

"Who?"

"Pearl and her diamond. They are always talking back and forth. We can hear it. You would have heard it too but you were with Ruby in the fusion." She blushed anew. "Ruby doesn't remember because she was enthralled much longer than us. But I can. Well, some of it, anyway."

She paused, then looked Steven in the eye.

"They're here, Steven. They've arrived."

"Who? Who are you talking about." Steven was starting to get scared again. Something about Peridot's demeanor was very upsetting.

"Home world. The thralling bomb was just a start, a preemptive strike while they waited for their main force to arrive. Well, they have. They're here and they're ready to invade." Peridot looked around at her audience. "We have a few days, maybe a week? They're here and they're looking for you, Steven. You're the one they want."

"Me? Why me?"

"Because you're Rose. Well, as far as they're concerned. You forced them to abandon the Earth colony. They thought they'd had their revenge with the Corruption Song and was waiting for the cluster weapon to destroy the Earth. I stopped that from happen... okay, _we_ stopped that from happening and now they want their colony back. And they want to shatter you. Because of Pink Diamond."

Steven swallowed, shame once again stabbing him in the heart. _This is too much._

Peridot shuffled for a bit then tears welled up in her eyes. "Um, Steven, that's not the worst part."

Steven stared at her, stunned. _Not the worst part!?!_ "What? What else? I mean..."

"It's Connie, Steven. They want her too."

* * *

Steven could no longer stand. He held his head in his hands. _No. Too much. Too much. Not Connie. I can't do this..._ He felt himself start to change. He was reverting again, returning to his infant form. _Too much._

Ruby realized what was happening and grabbed him by his shirt. " _Steven!_ No! You can't! We have to save Connie! _Don't do this!_ "

Steven stopped, but the world was just a blur around him. He shifted in and out between forms.

"Why Connie! What has she done to them!"

Peridot grabbed him by his hands. "Steven, listen to Ruby! We have to save Connie! They know about Stevonnie! Pearl's diamond was livid! They want her almost as much as they want you! Maybe more!"

Steven struggled for a few minutes until he was able to think clearly. He settled into his normal form.

Peridot spoke again. "Steven? It's not all bad. There's one more thing."

"What?" Steven was exhausted.

"Pearl didn't tell them about Stevonnie. Her diamond had to force it out of her. They were arguing Steven. They were arguing about you. That's when Pearl's diamond forced Pearl to tell her about Stevonnie."

"Wait. I thought you said the troll"

"thrall"

"is part of Pearl. Why didn't she tell her sooner?"

"I don't know, Steven. She has to obey what her diamond tells her, she has no choice. She shouldn't be able to hide anything from her. I don't understand how she's doing it. But she is. Pearl knew I was there. She knows I know that she knows about Stevonnie. She tried to capture me with the thrall but I don't know... it's like she wasn't really trying. Like she was going through the motions or something. But we can't think about that. Home world gems will be here soon and when they are, they will come for Connie first thing."

Steven collected himself then changed again. Only this time, he didn't revert to this infant form. He steeled himself. He eyes narrowed and a determination settled over his visage. He stood and looked out, considering. The three gems with him took a collective breath. This was ... new.

"You're right. Connie is our first priority." He looked out over the pasture, marred by Ruby's rampage, and drew a breath. _"Lion! I need you! Come to me now!"_

He stood and waited. Suddenly a light flashed and Lion appeared with a roar, full throated and as determined as Steven. This was it, the promise he'd made to his gem friend. It was time to go to war.


	11. Pearl

"Amethyst! You need to take this seriously!"

Amethyst put the game controller down with a "pfft". She rolled over the edge of the loft and dropped down to the couch.

"Don't sweat it P - we got this," she said looking at the collection of photographs Pearl had laid out on the table.

"No, we don't. Garnet! Say something!"

Garnet seemed distant. She answered with a simple "no" and returned to her own thoughts.

"You still on about those 'UFOs' the humans are always talking about? Ha! They may as well be talking about big foot!"

"Don't talk about corrupted gems like that," Pearl scolded. "She didn't know what she was doing."

"I know," Amethyst pouted. "But c'mon! They keep taking those stupid photographs! Have you seen how stupid those suits they're wearing look!" She threw back her head and laughed.

Pearl chuckled despite herself. "This isn't the same thing," she replied, serious again. "I'm telling you, these are _gem_ ships. They're after Steven. He has to stay with us and not that barn! Those gems can't protect him like we can."

Amethyst crossed her legs and looked away, grunting her disagreement. Garnet suddenly stiffened and looked out the window. Her visor abruptly disappeared and she turned back, her eyes wide.

"Pearl! They're not looking for Steven! It's you they want!"

Pearl looked at Garnet in confusion. "Me? What do they wa..." She never finished her thought. A light suddenly broke into the house followed by a song. Garnet and Pearl immediately stiffened. _No! That's the Corruption Song! Why?_ Amethyst watched her friends for a second then stood as the song began to resonate in her body. Her eyes became silver pools as she lost herself in the echoes reverberating in her mind.

Garnet immediately began to come apart. A light appeared where she'd been standing a second prior that began to throb and shift. Two forms began to emerge as Garnet's two gems gathered a portion of the light to themselves. Two new forms coalesced, blue and red, and looked around in confusion as the song took control of their minds. They were completely immersed in its toxic sweetness, lost to themselves, forgetting that they had ever been Garnet.

Pearl jumped up and looked around. _No! This can't be happening! Not now! We're not ready!_ The song found her, caressed her, held her with its intimate embrace. _No! I can't do this again!_ She looked around in desperation. _Rose!_

"Rose! Your shield!" she cried out as the song insinuated itself into her consciousness. But Rose wasn't there. Pearl became frantic. She fought the song that seem to know her as well as she knew herself. But it didn't know her as well as it thought it did. She wasn't the Pearl she was. She continued to fight even as the song increased it's pressure on her mind. _NO!_ she screamed, no one able to hear her.

"Pearl," a voice called out to her. Soft, gentle, loving. "My Pearl."

 _No! No! NO!_ She began to cry. _I can't give in. Rose needs me! Steven needs me! I need ... I need ... Ahhh._ She began to float, turning as the song increased its pressure, calling to her, seducing her with its promise of blissful release. _No! Sheena! Steven! Rose! No no no no. I, I_

"Pearl!" The voice was insistent, familiar. "Why do you fight me Pearl? Come to me, Pearl. Come home."

Pearl stiffened in her final act of resistance then gave herself over. "My Diamond!"

"Pearl. I'm so glad to have you with me again. I've missed you for so long! My Pearl. My beloved."

Pearl smiled as the song cooed to her, calming her, caressing her. Iridescent colors played across her eyes - blue, yellow, green. _My Diamond! I've missed you so!_ Her diamond, her lover, her mother, her beloved.

* * *

The light faded but the song continued in their minds. Ruby, Sapphire and Amethyst ran out onto the beach, seeking cover amidst the debris. The song played over and over, working it's tendrils into their minds. Their forms began to shift; it was hard to remember what they were supposed to look like. They began to search for something they couldn't describe. They didn't know what they were looking for, only that they had to find it.

Pearl remained in the house, suddenly alone and lost. She could no longer hear the voice of her diamond, her beloved. It's absence was like a hole. She stepped onto the porch and looked out to the horizon. The song as it played over and over was her comfort, her joy. Her diamond would return soon, she knew. They would speak again. She called out. "My diamond!" _Return to me! I miss you so!_

She heard a sound from below. It was that human! Greg! She was suddenly filled with rage. "You!" she cried out and lunged forward over the railing and onto the stairs. He dropped something and ran towards a vehicle then drove off. She reached the beach as he turned the corner out of sight and watched him drive off. She returned to the porch; her diamond would return soon.

She didn't have to wait long. "My Pearl," her diamond called to her. She jumped with an ecstatic shiver that ran up her spine at the sound of the voice.

"My Diamond! I'm here!"

"Come to me, Pearl. Find me." With that, the voice was gone and Pearl was once again left with an ache she couldn't fill.

"Oh, my Diamond," she cried and started to search. The song that continued to fill her mind showed her the way. She's on the moon. Yes, the old Diamond Authority base. But how do I get there? _Come to me, Pearl._ She stepped onto the warp pad and traveled to an old landing site. A small white ship waited for her. _Yes, of course. One of the ships in the photos._ She boarded the ship, its only occupant, and watched out the windows as it flew to the moon base.

She stepped out of the small ship and into an open space. Murals adorned the wall but she didn't see them. Her eyes focused instead on the stately figure standing before her. Tall and regal, she radiated a power that filled the room. Her platinum hair draped across her shoulders and down her back. She wore a soft, flowing gown with a large, clear diamond in her forehead. Her eyes glowed; her glistening lips parted.

She knelt and held out her hands. She spoke, her voice filling Pearl with an ineffable joy. "Come to me. Come, my Pearl. Let me hold you once again. I've missed you so much!"

"My Diamond!" Pearl ran forward and they embraced. White Diamond's light swelled as the two lovers held each other once again, so long separated. Their lights expanded and joined and they became one. A single gem, complete once again.


	12. Connie

Connie cried in the back of the car as her parents drove her home. _Steven, I won't be able to see you again._ She knew not to argue with her parents, especially her dad. There won't be an abacus tonight. That implies an end. No, this is permanent - there's nothing to calculate. She'd had the presence of mind to hide her sword behind some rocks when her parents showed up on the scene, but nothing else has gone right since.

Her parents had discovered her and Steven's absence shortly after they left. They called Greg and the word went out from there. It didn't take long to figure out Jenny was somehow involved. Rumors began to fly via phone and text that something was going on at the old temple. There were reports of loud noises and yelling. Someone said something about seeing a lion. Everyone connected the dots and they converged on the scene nearly simultaneously.

Steven was missing at first but only Greg noticed. He emerged from Lion's mane a short moment later into a scene of utter chaos. Two sets of parents fretted over their children even as they scolded them. Connie was trying to explain to her parents that she was okay, but they couldn't hear her. Their fear, anger and relief drowned out her voice; she was at that moment little more than a small child with nothing meaningful to say let alone to be listened to.

She was the only person to notice Vidalia joining the group as they filed into the pizzeria. She found herself being dried by hand towels then bundled in a cotton checkered table cloth. She had to admit she did feel a little better now that she was dry and starting to warm up. She looked over at Steven and almost laughed at how ridiculous he looked. Almost. This wasn't the time for that. She and Steven managed to get the story out, admitting that, yes, they were Stevonnie again - her father's veins popping out of his forehead on hearing that - and that they were fighting one of Steven's gem friends.

Connie's father was ominously silent when they finally finished. Connie fretted as that was very uncharacteristic of him. He finally spoke.

"Connie, you are not to see Steven ever again. I will not have him put you in danger like that ever again!" He turned to Greg and continued. "I'm sorry, but Steven can't stay with us any more."

Connie immediately began to protest but her mother put her foot down also. This was not open for discussion. She cried and pleaded but it was almost as if her parents could no longer hear her.

Vidalia finally spoke up and left with Steven and Greg. Doug and Priyanka thanked Kofi for everything, flashing daggers at Jenny as they spoke. They finally left, taking their place in the front seat of the car as Connie obediently climbed into the back. She crumpled into her seat and cried silently. _Oh, Steven. What do we do now?_

* * *

Things were tense at the Maheswaran household. Connie had braced herself for non stop scolding but it never materialized. Their silence echoed in her mind instead, more devastating than anything they could have thought to say. She kept her gaze down as they ate dinner the next day, no one speaking. Finally unable to take it anymore, she banged the table as her eyes flooded and overflowed.

"Please! Say something! _I'm sorry!_ I'm sorry. I ... I'm sorry," the last little more than a whimper. She bowed her head and jumped out of her chair to go to her room when her mother gripped her by her shoulder.

"Connie..." her mother said looking at her father. She was suddenly pulled into her mother's arms and they cried into each other, their tears mingling.

"Oh, Connie, we were so worried! We heard about what was happening. We didn't know what to think." Connie's dad listened as mother and daughter spoke, but said nothing. Even so, she saw how his eyes were getting blurry.

"Connie! You can't _do_ that to us like that," her mother continued. "I know you're dedicated to your friend but you're just a _little girl!_ "

" _Our_ little girl," her father added, finally breaking his silence, his voice unsteady. He immediately stopped talking again, not trusting his voice not to betray him.

"We're sorry too, Connie, but we can't allow you to do this anymore," her mother continued, not trying to hide the pain and fear in her voice.

Connie relented. They were right. She _is_ a little girl. Pearl has been training her, but there is only so much she can do. She may not have survived if Lion hadn't been there to pull her to shore. She hugged her mother closer and looked at her father.

"I know, daddy. I'm sorry. I won't ever do that again." The evening drew to a close as two women cried openly into each other's arms and one man sat alone, crying silently to himself.

* * *

She dreamt of Steven as she always did but something was different this time. His presence felt ... solid? Something. Dream Stevens were always accompanied by strong emotions, sometimes clear, sometimes confusing, but always present. This time he was just there, flying around with helicopter wings like their favorite cartoon character. He seem to be looking for something ... no, for someone. _Me!_ Connie thrashed in her bed. _He's looking for me!_

"Steven!" she called out, but he didn't hear her. He continued to fly around when he suddenly saw her. His eyes widened and an expression of joy spread across his face.

"Connie!" he called to her, flowing towards her and taking her in his arms.

"Connie! I've missed you! I have so much to tell you!" Steven's boundless energy took him all over the dreamscape. He disappeared and reappeared somewhere else then back again in chaotic jerks. He was talking but it was too much to take in. It was a meaningless jumble of words and feelings and motion.

"Steven!" Connie called out. "Settle down! I can't understand you."

Steven looked at her for a second then abruptly disappeared. Connie floated, confused.

"Steven?" He reappeared a few minutes later and looked around to find her.

"Oh, there you are. Sorry about that. I was just so excited. I, um...", he smiled an embarrassed grin. "I, um, had to go to the bathroom all of a sudden. I almost didn't make it." He scratched his neck and smiled.

Connie blinked. "Oh. Well, I'm glad you did." She squinted her eyes, wondering. "You _did_ make it, right?"

Steven laughed. "Yeah! I'm okay. Oh, Connie, I didn't think I would see you again!"

Connie looked at Steven. "Steven? Is this a dream? It feels like a dream, I mean I'm floating and all, but, I don't know, it's different."

Steven smiled. "We're dream talking! It's something I can do now. I don't know how it works, but I can talk to people in their dreams. I can talk to some gems, too."

"Oh! Did you just learn how to do this?"

Steven pushed out his chest slightly. "Oh, no. I've done this before. I actually was in Lars' body the first time..." He looked away for a second. "That didn't turn out so well. But it was better with Kiki! She was being chase..."

Steven stopped. Connie was looking at him really weird. It was a little scary and he didn't like it. "Connie ...?"

Connie glared at Steven. _Kiki? Kiki! He dream talked to Kiki!?! Before he dream talked to me?!?_ She shook her head and relaxed her glare. But not entirely.

"I'm fine, Steven. Go on with what you were saying."

"Um, that's okay," Steven said, suddenly wanting to change the subject. "We can talk about something else."

"No, Steven. It's fine. Finish what you were saying about Kiki. I _really_ want to know."

Steven was sure something was wrong now, but he had no idea what.

"Um, that's okay. I have to go now. Um, I need to talk, to Lion, about, Lion ... stuff. Okay. Bye!"

Her father was more than unprepared for her mood the next day.

* * *

Steven and Connie resumed their dream talking the following night, each honoring an unspoken agreement not to bring up Kiki again. They plotted and schemed, but there was little they could do. Connie's parents were more than vigilant about keeping an eye on her. Her sneaking out with Steven had created a rift between them. While they had forgiven her, they didn't fully trust her anymore. School was out and she was effectively under house arrest.

Connie understood and tried to restore their faith in her. She felt guilty about her dream talking with Steven, but rationalized it away. He was too important to her. She told herself she wasn't breaking any rules ... technically ... but she knew better. Her parent's regard for her would be dealt a hard blow if they were to ever find out. She was determined that they never would.

Steven didn't always appear in her dreams, and sometimes when he did, he seemed reluctant to talk about Lapis or Peridot. Especially these last couple of nights. Something was up. He slipped up and told her he was at the barn now but refused to say why. He seemed very disturbed by something but wouldn't talk about it no matter how hard she tried. She even used her patented big eyed, girly " _Ste_ ven" approach and that always worked, but not this time. She was very concerned.

Steven reappeared the next night and she was immediately on guard. He was not using his helicopter blades to travel for one and his countenance was different somehow. He _looked_ the same - maybe a little skinnier - but still. He looked at her with piercing eyes and drove a spike into her heart - something was wrong. This isn't how Steven acted.

"Connie. Where are you?"

Any lingering doubts were gone now. This isn't how Steven spoke. Was this really him. _Yes. I trust him._

"I'm at my house. Asleep," she answered.

He nodded. "Listen carefully. I'm coming for you. Get your stuff together. I'll give you one hour. Be ready." And with that, he was gone.

Connie woke suddenly. _What was that?_ She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. _Something is seriously wrong._ She grabbed a suitcase and a backpack and shoved as much stuff as she could into them. She had no idea what she would need, so she grabbed everything and anything, being as quiet as she could so as not to wake her parents.

She waited, her heart pounding with dread. A portal suddenly appeared and Lion stepped through carrying Steven. He jumped down and sized up her baggage. He told her to put on her backpack then reached into Lion's mane, stowing her suitcase. He climbed up more surefooted than she'd seen him and reached down to her. She took his hand and he pulled her up onto Lion's back.

He turned back and asked "Where's your sword?" It was as much of a demand as it was a question.

"At the beach near your house."

He thought for second then reached a decision. "Let's go find it then," he said to Lion, a fierce determination in his voice. Lion reacted instantly with a roar and leapt into a fresh portal and away from her home. Connie clung tightly to Steven, wondering if she'd ever see her parents again.


	13. Reunion

A small, red, one eyed crab scurried along the beach looking for a quick meal when a light suddenly appeared before her. It was one of those gems, always giving her a bad time. Like seagulls weren't enough of a hassle. She ducked into a discarded soup can to hide.

Lion stepped out of the portal carrying Steven and Connie on his back. They jumped down and Lion stood by on the ready. It was a risky choice returning to the house - somehow Pearl can detect when gems are nearby - but the sword was important. Steven gave Connie a questioning look and she pointed towards a couple of rocks covered by plants. They walked over and Connie searched in the darkness. Ah! There it was. She gripped it and pulled it out, its heft and balance feeling like it belonged in her hands.

Four holo-pearl projections appeared between them and Lion, cutting them off. Pearl walked down the ramp leading to the house and approached them. Two more holo-pearls appeared, cutting off their escape. Connie quickly slough off the back back. They took each other's hand and fused. Stevonnie pulled out her shield and held her sword low, ready for anything Pearl might throw at her.

"Hello, Rose", Pearl spoke. It was Pearl, but it wasn't. It had a deep, melodious resonance. It was calming, reassuring. Stevonnie shook it off. She wouldn't be disarmed that easily.

"Who are you? Yellow Diamond?" Stevonnie demanded, watching her every move warily.

Pearl stood with her hands folded before her. "Oh, so you know. Yes, of course. The peridot. She must have told you about us. No, we're not Yellow. We're White. But you don't remember us, do you Rose?"

Her voice danced in Stevonnie's head. It wasn't what she was expecting. This was White Diamond. She was the most powerful of the diamonds. Even Yellow and Blue Diamond were her inferiors. This was very, very bad. She couldn't possibly hope to battle her. Retrieving the sword was a mistake. She looked around, seeking any escape.

Still, something wasn't right. Stevonnie didn't feel threatened. White Diamond acted almost like they were just some old friends catching up after a long time apart. Only the holo-pearls spoiled the illusion.

"Pearl told us that you don't remember much of anything in this new form." She stepped closer to Stevonnie then scowled. "No! I will not have this!" She waved one of her hands and a piercing sound penetrated Stevonnie's mind, causing her to come apart. Connie fell onto her back but Steven managed to stand. He would not fall before this diamond. The song ended and Pearl dropped her scowl, but her smile did not return in its absence.

"No. I will not abide the presence of that abomination." Pearl turned and walked back up the ramp, gesturing for them to follow. The holo-pearls stood behind them, prompting them to move with their spears. Lion roared his objection and Pearl waved her hand again, the most casual of motions, and Lion collapsed on the beach.

"Don't worry Rose," Pearl spoke in that wonderous voice. "Your friend is fine. He's just asleep. We never understood why you helped that creature."

She turned and looked at Steven then ran her eyes up and down Connie's form. A look of mild distaste briefly crossed her features.

"We just want to talk, Rose. Just two old friends. Like before." She considered Connie a second time then turned with a flair. "She may come also." With that, the three of them ascended into the house followed by the holo-pearls.

* * *

Steven looked around. Nothing was different. Nothing was the same, either. Pearl gestured to the couch and they took a seat. Pearl fumbled about the kitchen and pulled some canned drinks from the refrigerator. She walked over and handed them each a drink. Pearl stood and watched, waiting.

She looked quizzically at them. "Pearl said these were your favorites. Aren't you thirsty? Besides, don't humans consider it rude to turn down a gift of food or drink?"

Connie popped open her can and took a sip. Steven followed suit. Pearl smiled, confusing Steven again. She seemed so _genuine_ in her conduct.

Pearl looked at the picture hanging over the door.

" _That's_ how we remember you, Rose. You were magnificent then. Perfect in every way. Pink spoke so highly of you." She sighed, looking at the portrait for several long moments.

"Ah, well. Perhaps you were too perfect. That was our fault, we suppose." She adjusted her posture and returned her attention to her guests.

"So, this is the human you're so fond of," she continued, looking Connie over with a fresh expression of distaste. "Why do you bother with them? They exist for such a short time. And they are so frail. But you always did have a soft spot for these creatures, didn't you. We should have recognized that for the flaw that it was. But Pink was so smitten by you, we couldn't bring ourself to harvest you. And that other human, the one with the hair. Just what was that all about and _why_ " - her voice began to rise - " _why_ did you make _that_ thing!" She pointed at Steven, anger flashing across her face.

"That's grotesque! It's so - _organic!_ " she exclaimed with a shudder on the last word. Steven tensed and Connie gripped her sword.

Pearl took a breath as if to collect herself. "It doesn't matter. This is you now, isn't it." She looked Steven over a second time and her countenance seemed to fall slightly.

"Pearl tells us you don't remember anything from before. Is that true?" she asked, apparently content to change the subject. Steven nodded cautiously. "Yes. We suppose that would be the case. This ... form wouldn't be capable of that sort of data transfer. Well. There's so much to catch up on, isn't there?"

"We came here, to Earth" she gestured around her as she raised her eyes, "to establish a new colony. Our new sister, Pink, was ready to be incubated and this planet seem so suitable. Yellow was convinced it was perfect but Blue had her doubts. She was right, I'm afraid. We set down and put Pink in the ground and let her grow. We consumed the resources of an entire land mass to make her but she came out ... poorly."

Pearl seemed lost in her memories and was silent for several minutes. "Still, she was our sister and she was a diamond. We each did what we could. We bequeathed her our pearl. My Pearl." She said that last so tenderly that Steven almost dropped his guard. Almost.

"That was our first mistake, we think. We felt so betrayed, given away like that. Like we were nothing. But we loved our Pearl. We were so broken up by it. But Pink needed our guidance. Yes, she did. We were right to do this. But we were so hurt!" Tears welled up and streamed down her face. "We were separated and lost. But, we did as we were bidden. We served our new diamond like she was our own. But she wasn't. Our diamond abandoned us, discarded us."

Pearl stood still for several minutes, silent, brooding. "Do you see Rose? Do you understand? That was our first mistake. You were our second." She suddenly looked up at something only she could see.

"Pearl, I'm so sorry but I must go now. I won't be gone long, but I must speak with Yellow about our plans. Will you please see our guests out?"

Pearl nodded then her eyes suddenly began to shimmer. It reminded Steven of oyster shells, but on the inside. She gasped, as if in pain, then recovered, her eyes no longer her own. "Yes, my diamond," she said then pointed to the door. "Leave now. You are no longer welcome here." She touched her gem then looked at Steven. "Your lion will recover shortly. I suggest you leave soon. We will be arriving before much longer." She turned her back on them and went into her room.

Steven and Connie left the house and walked down to the beach, bewildered. Lion was standing, unsteady on his feet, but improving quickly. He looked upset. Steven looked up at the house, lost in thought, then walked over to his friend. Connie retrieved her back pack and joined them.

He stroked Lion's mane and scratched him behind an ear. "How are you? Can you travel?" Lion flashed him a prideful look and growled his annoyance that such a question would even be asked. Steven laughed then leapt effortlessly onto his back. He helped Connie up and gave Lion a press with his legs. "Then let's go. To the barn, please." Lion roared and opened a portal.

It was quiet for several minutes before the little crab with the single eye peered out of her can. Were they gone? Yes? Good. It was about time. Dinner was somewhere around here, she just needed to find it.


	14. Dark Clouds

_"... ident! Mr. President! Wake up!"_

Joseph stirred in his bed. It was Nasir, shaking him awake for some reason. God, just one night's uninterrupted sleep. Was that _really_ so much to ask?

"What is it, Nasir?" he asked, the room beginning to coalesce in his sphere of awareness. He looked up and knew without being told. Dammit.

"It's the satellite reconnaissance photos, sir. Those ships have been spotted again. But there's more of them than before. We count at least eighty so far, and they are arriving more frequently now."

His friend and confidant helped him up in the bed then handed him his glasses. "Get dressed sir. they're waiting for you down stairs. I'll be outside in the hall."

President Joseph Carr, just 14 months on the job, quickly dressed. He was careful to assemble all the electronic gadgetry his detail insisted he wear at all times. They'd check him before they'd let him leave this floor. He sighed. They've been very distrustful of him ever since the "incident" in Lisbon. _I was hungry. Christ. Can't a man step out for a bite to eat?_ he groused as he pulled on his shoes and headed for the situation room.

He walked into a beehive of frantic energy, 'controlled chaos' someone once called it. Men and women, some in military uniforms, some not, milled about. A constant undercurrent of voices permeated the room. Phones rang, keyboards clicked. It wasn't usually this busy. Or this crowded. Something was up. He walked over to the desk where his senior military advisors were pouring over dozens of high resolution photographs.

"Preston, what do you have?" he asked his Secretary of Defense, Preston Marsh. A no-nonsense, buttoned down, serious man who rarely smiled. A former 3 star Marine Corps general, he had seen his share of combat. Nothing rattled him. Ever.

Except this.

"Mr. President," he answered, looking up from the table and standing to attention.

Joseph sighed. He'd long ago quit trying to get him to drop the formalities concluding it was a lost cause. "What are you looking at?" he asked, nodding towards the table.

Preston handed him a photo. "More of those ships. South America this time. And two more at the Africa site. They seem to be assembling."

Joseph scanned the room. "Where's Alan?" he asked. Alan Prescott was a 4 star Air Force general and the current CINCUSSPACECOM - Commander in Chief, US Space Command.

"Here, Joseph," he answered as the door buzzed shut behind him. "The activity around Mars has increased," he said, anticipating the question. "There's movement there but we're not sure what. The old probes were designed to look down at the planet, not scan for other ships in orbit." It was an old complaint which just made Joseph weary. He knew all that and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it. These probes would have to do - it's all they had.

"And the moon? What was that all about?"

"Yes. One of the Australian site ships flew there recently. We're not sure why," meaning he had no idea whatsoever.

"And?" Alan liked to milk these things.

"And the EM emissions from the artifact have increased in strength and are constant now, not intermittent like before."

The "artifact" was the name of a structure recently discovered on the moon's surface. It's very existence was held at the highest possible level of classification with only a few people (mostly those presently in the room) knowing of it. So of course it was being widely discussed by conspiracy bloggers across the internet. One blogger in particular, based out of Delmarva, seemed remarkably knowledgeable. He was the subject of much debate within the CIA, some arguing he should be assassinated, others that that he should be recruited. In the end, it was decided to dedicate a couple of analysts to monitor his blog, "KeepBeachCityWeird", and see what else he turned up.

"What about the pulse? Anything?"

"No sir. Nothing new. It just appeared, we think from the artifact, and disappeared a few seconds later." That about summed it up. Joseph cursed under his breath.

"Come on, people, what the _fuck_ are we paying you for?!?" He rubbed his forehead in frustration. He turned to his Secretary of State.

"Pheebs? What about the Chinese?"

Phoebe Stockwell looked up. He was the only person in the world, apart from her parents and her husband, who dared call her that. She drew a tired breath and gesture vaguely.

"Nothing new. They're sharing a few photos with us, but mostly stuff we already know about. They still don't trust you, Joseph. That's the short and skinny of it."

He sighed. Campaign rhetoric was a harsh mistress. His vitriolic tirades against Chinese hegemony put him over the top for the presidency, but he learned later there is always a cost. He probably shouldn't have called the premier out by name like that. And that insult... his Chinese advisors assured him it wasn't _that_ bad but it was. If anything, it was worse. And _of course_ the Senate had to pass that bill and _of course_ the House had to pass it too. Suddenly, he was presented with a very bad choice - sign something he knew was a major mistake or veto it and burn up all of his political capital with a simple stroke of his pin. He signed it with as little fanfare as he could get away with.

He held his head in his hand, massaging his temples. Now, he needed to get them on board but they were being obstinate. Every instinct he had told him there was no way they could prevail if we continued to squabble over geopolitical spoils. He sighed again. _One thing at a time._

* * *

He glared, irritated. "So why am I here? What's so damn important that couldn't wait 'til morning?" Seriously. Just _one_ night's sleep. That's all he asked.

Preston gestured to the photo in his hand. "That, sir."

He looked down, seeing it for the first time. Receiving stuff from his staff was so automatic he never even noticed doing it. He looked at it. Then he took a second look, closer this time.

"What is this?" he asked, wondering if he should be alarmed.

"That's just it, we don't know. It's huge. Look at the trees around it." He looked again. The ship, or whatever it was, towered over the trees.

"Here." Preston handed him another photo. It was a closeup of the ship, nearer to the ground. Joseph's eyes grew large.

"What are those? Are those ... _gems?_ " Two large, multicolored figures stood before a ramp. Massive, with long hair, they held what looked like staffs in their hands. A third figure could be seen stepping off the bottom of the ramp. Green, with odd yellow hair. Something floated before it, like a tablet or something.

"We think so, they match the archival descriptions. The green one looks very much like subject five."

 _Christ, where are the gems coming from all of a sudden?_ "Where did you get these photographs?"

"We had a SOF team nearby when it landed. They were tasked to reconnoiter the site. This is what they sent us. EM readings are off the chart. All frequencies. There's more." He handed Joseph a third photograph.

It showed what looked like a window in the ship. Inside was a massive yellow figure.

"What is that?"

"We think it's a diamond, sir."

A diamond. Shit. That wasn't good.

"I want a briefing in one hour. Bring me everything you have. Where's Sarah?"

Cora Dawson, head of the president's personal security detail, spoke up. "She's at the gamma site. Just in case."

Vice President Sarah Kaur had been moved to an "undisclosed" location thousands of miles away _just in case._ Of course.

"Alright, people. Let's go. One hour." He stopped and thought for a second. "And bring Wilcox. He may have something to offer." He went to his office, any thoughts of sleep long abandoned, and picked up the phone and spoke. "Get me Lei."

* * *

Dr. Randall Wilcox walked into the high security briefing room. He didn't have clearance to enter and three separate signatures were needed to get him to the inner sanctum where the president's team was assembling. _What is this all about?_ He looked at his watch. Four AM. He looked around and realized that most of the people in the room have been up much longer, some evidently not getting any sleep at all, if their bloodshot eyes meant anything.

He was searched at each station. Rudely, in his opinion. He finally was ushered to the front of the room and waited with the others until President Carr arrived. He was disheveled, but then that was how he always looked in spite of his best efforts. There wasn't a wrinkle free garment made that could withstand him. He was also brilliant. And when it came to gems, he had no peer. In this one subject, he was the smartest person in the room - in any room - and reveled in letting others know it.

The president arrived in short order. On time, no less - a rarity for someone in his station - and called the meeting to order.

"Dr. Wilcox. Summarize our current understanding of gems for the benefit of those in the room who don't know. Make it brief and keep to the point." Randall liked to ramble and normally ignored such admonitions, what better way to show his intellectual superiority than lecturing, but something told him today was not a good day for that. He would make the effort to stay focused for once.

"Ahem. Yes. Well. Archaeological and historical evidence indicates with a high degree of confidence that gems - um, those are alien beings from, well we don't know. Outer space, obviously. Dr. Olexiandra suggests ..." The president fidgeted. "Right. Anyway, they've been on Earth at least 6,000 years. Maybe longer. Recent digs in Indonesia ... right. So, we know they've been here at least that long. There are different artifacts all over the planet and we believe they were starting to terraform the planet for reasons unknown. I believe the Siberia Sea was a major terraforming site. However, Dr., ... right."

He poured himself some water and took a sip. "Something stopped them. We're not sure what. There is considerable evidence that they fought amongst themselves. We're confident of that. The carnage of the conflict, to humans and gems alike, appears to have been extensive. Their war finally ended some 4,000 years ago, with most of the gems leaving the planet. A small cadre of gems remained behind, four or five - opinions vary about the tall one. You see, it is actually two ... right."

He was finding it surprising difficult to stay on point. It just wasn't his style. "These gems appear to have extremely long lifespans. Historical documents suggest these gems have been around since the end of the afore mentioned war. We have conclusive evidence they've been in the Delmarva region for at least 2,500 years. One of the gems, the leader we think, went missing a couple of decades ago. There are now three gems, four if you count the tall one as ... right. Oh, and a child who we think is a gem as well, but we're not sure about him. He appeared at the same time the other gem disappeared. There is speculation that the missing gem somehow transformed into the child, but I remain unconvinced. For one ... right. Um, well that's the short version anyway. Any question?"

A few hands started to raise, but Joseph shut it down. "That's enough for our purposes at the moment. Save your questions for later. Bob?" He turned to his national intelligence director, Robert Colfax.

Robert pressed a button and the lights dimmed and an image appeared behind Randall. "Dr. Wilcox...?" he coughed and Randall realized he was in the way. He hastily sat down, for once happy to no longer be the center of attention. _What is going on?_

"People, what you are about to see and hear now is Top Secret, Sensitive Compartmented Information. " He bore into Randall with eyes that promised certain death if he spoke about this. To anyone. Ever. " _This Does Not Leave This Room._ " He paused for effect then continued, confident he had Randall's complete understanding.

"Begin," he said, pressing the button again and talking into an unseen microphone. Images appeared in succession as Robert spoke. "These are extra-terrestrial ships, UFOs if you prefer, that have been arriving on Earth for the last few months. Their reason for coming here is not known. There has been an uptick in their frequency lately. Our best count at this moment is ninety...," He consulted a document, glasses on his nose. "Ninety _two_ scattered across the globe. As you can see, there are two primary types."

He pressed the button again. "Hold there." An aid in another room typed on a key board and the slide show halted. A saucer shaped ship was on display. It was silver-gray with round depressions scattered around its perimeter.

"These are the most common types. They are approximately," he consulted his notes again, "50 meters in diameter and 10 meters thick - about the width of a B-2 and twice as tall. These are about 70% of the ships seen so far. Back two," he spoke pressing the button. The slide show shifted back two images and a different ship appeared. It was elongated with something that looked like a cockpit on one end. It was a bright blue.

"These are the other types we typically see. They're 100 meters long, 20 meters wide and 10 meters tall. Most of them are blue like this. A few are green. Continue." The slide show resumed. "There is a third type that shows up from time to time. Small and round, about the size of C-130. They are either Yellow, Blue or White. We don't know why these ships are here and what, if anything, they have as as cargo. Or weapons."

The slide show ended and a generic image appeared.

He shifted in his seat as he continued. "There have been other, isolated sightings as well. Bring up file S-2." A red, spherical object appeared on screen a few seconds later. "This ship only appeared once. It exploded, evidently destroyed by the DMV gems Dr. Wilcox mentioned earlier. Next." A green ship appeared on the screen. "Yes, that's a hand. It crashed near the DMV gems. We're not sure why. Next." A blurry image of another red sphere appeared. "This ship appeared twice, but this was the only image we could obtain on Earth. It also appeared in the vicinity of the DMV gems. Next." A grainy photograph of the lunar artifact appeared with what looked like a red smudge entering an open portal. "Telescopic imagery showed this recently. We believe this is the same ship as the one in the previous image. This is the first time we've seen any visual activity with the artifact."

He sat back in his chair and looked around the room. "As you can see, there has been a major increase in gem related space activity over the last few years. We are very concerned about this. We also have evidence, nothing visual, that there may be ships or other objects orbiting Mars."

Robert reached into his briefcase and brought out several photographs. He handed them out to his left and right. People looked at them then passed them along.

"These are the most recent photographs, taken 3 hours ago." He waited while the photo's made their way around the table. He watched Randall with interest as the photos finally made their way to him. He wasn't disappointed.

"My God!" the doctor exclaimed. "Mr. President - that's..." He looked up, the president eying him with a blank look. "Yes, Dr. Wilcox?" he asked. "What do you see?"

"That's a diamond, sir! _Yellow_ Diamond! This is... sir? Are we sure about this? Are the photos real? They aren't fakes or anything?"

"Yes doctor, they're quite genuine. So, what in your expert opinion does this mean?"

Randall took another hit of water. "Nothing good, sir. Nothing at all good."

Joseph Carr, President of the United States of America, pinched the bridge of his nose. _Of course._


	15. The Barn

Lion arrived at the barn. Steven and Connie jumped down as two gems emerged through the door to greet them.

"Hello Steven!" Lapis said, effusively. "Hello Connie. Um, how are you?" Connie was teaching her how to interact with people. She tended to be literal minded and a bit stiff towards them. She really didn't understand humans. They are so weird. Everything happens so _fast_ with them and they're gone before you know it. And most of them aren't very smart.

But Connie was okay. She liked Connie. Connie was _very_ smart. She was smarter than Steven and he's a gem. And she was good at explaining things to Lapis. Connie was helping her with saying things like "how are you". She didn't understand at first why she should ask that. She didn't care. There was always something wrong with humans. Coughs, fevers, broken bones - none of that interested her. Connie explained this was a phatic expression. It was "polite" to say that. No one actually cared, it was just how you greeted each other. That was easy then. She didn't care either.

But she wished Connie would remember her name better. Steven too. He sometimes called her "Bob" or "Freddy". She was Lapis. He usually knew that but sometimes forgot. Connie once called her an "alligator". She didn't know why. She's a lapis lazuli. Connie told her not to worry about it. It was humor. Lapis didn't say anything. Humor was supposed to be funny. Forgetting someone's name isn't funny. It's dementia. Now Peridot was funny. She had the best jokes.

"I'm fine," Connie answered with the prescribed response. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, thank you." Good, that was done. "Steven? We're ready like you asked."

"That's good Lapis. Listen up, okay? You too, Peridot." He looked around. "Where's Ruby?"

Peridot scrunched her face. "She's being moody again." Her toned softened. "She's still upset about Sapphire. We're leaving her alone for now."

Steven considered that, unconvinced, then continued. "Well, we can't stay here. Pearl has the house but she knows about the barn. I don't know why she hasn't attacked us here yet but we have to assume she will sooner or later. We have to leave."

Both gems nodded. They had reached the same conclusion. Peridot spoke up. "Where do you want to go? I have a lot of maps on my ... _tablet_." She was still learning common names for things. "Oh, how about that island with your watermelon friends?"

"I thought about that too," Peridot beamed, "but I think we need to go somewhere new." Peridot's grin evaporated.

"Oh. Where then?"

"We need to go somewhere we don't normally visit. I was thinking the island of Florida. Look. Take care of Connie for a few minutes. She's probably hungry. I'll be back in a bit."

Connie _was_ hungry. The confrontation with Pearl - White Diamond? - had drained her. She did need to eat - and sleep too, if she's being honest. The sun was just coming up. It had been several hours since Steven first contacted her. She followed Peridot into the barn, only half listening as she pointed out her different sculptures. _Meep morp_ she called them. _Gems are very strange,_ she thought and started to rummage through Steven's stash of food.

 _How on Earth does he live off this stuff,_ she wondered. She rarely saw him eat anything other than junk food. Donuts were the foundation of his food pyramid as far as she could tell. She opened a bag of Chaaaps potato chips and dug in. _It's better than nothing, I suppose._

* * *

Steven walked to the back of the barn. "Hello, Ruby. Are you feeling okay?"

Ruby looked up. She'd been crying. Again. This had to stop. He needed Ruby and she wasn't any good like this. He felt a small twinge of guilt for the selfishness of that, but it was true. He approached her and his form shifted slightly, back to his usual self.

"You miss her, don't you," he asked. She glared at him as her answer. She only seemed to have two moods anymore - grief and anger. He continued, undeterred.

"I understand. I miss my mom even though I never met her. I sometimes cry when I'm alone at night." He'd never shared that with anyone before. Not even Connie. "But I talked to her. Sapphire, I mean. She was in one of my dreams." He shared the time he spoke to her while Pearl was talking to White Diamond. "She was very upset for you. She only wanted one thing - for me to set you free. I was a little scared by that. Well, a lot scared, because I didn't know what to do. Peridot was the one who came up with the plan."

Ruby was quiet. He wasn't sure if that was good, but it was different so it probably was. She's not yelling or crying anyway. "I'm really sorry for tricking you like that. I know it upset you." Ruby started to get mad again, but stopped - maybe it was too tiring.

They sat together in silence for a few minutes. Steven finally spoke again.

"Look, I know what Peridot said, about Sapphire and all, but I think she's wrong." Ruby shifted, turning her head towards him a little. Now it was Steven's turn to tear up.

"I miss Garnet," he said. Ruby turned a little further around and seemed to sniffle. "She was my best friend. Well, so was Amethyst but ... ", he stumbled over his words, not sure what he was trying to tell her. "But I couldn't save her. But I could save you - the first time I could, really." The truth of that statement struck home. It was the first time he'd realized that.

"And if we can save Sapphire, then Garnet will be back. Not that I don't want you here. But if Garnet is here, all three of you will be here." He was starting to feel really stupid now. "But anyway, I want to try and help Sapphire." He had Ruby's full attention now. Her face was still blank, but she was listening.

"So I promise - we'll find a way. Okay? We'll find a way and then you and Sapphire will be together again." Ruby nodded, fresh tears in her eyes. But there was something else there too. "We'll find a way but I need your help. I need you Ruby. Please?" With that, Ruby came over and hugged Steven. Tight. Steven oofed. He didn't realize how strong she was.

Ruby let go after a few seconds, looking embarrassed, then spoke. "Yes, Steven. I believe you. We'll save Sapphire. And Amethyst." She paused and looked over her shoulder towards the house. "And we'll save Pearl, too. She was my best friend too. Her and Amethyst, that is." She slapped Steven on his back, nearly knocking him over.

"Okay, let's go kick some diamond ass!" Steven smiled. He didn't know if diamonds had butts, but that didn't matter right now. Ruby was back.

* * *

They rejoined the rest of the group. Lapis and Peridot looked at Ruby sideways, but didn't say anything. She didn't look at them either. _I guess gems are prideful too,_ Steven thought.

"Okay, we'll go to Florida, but we have to bring dad and Connie's parents with us." He started to resume his new form. Not much different, but still. "Pearl is still very upset with him and may try to hurt him. The same with your parents," he said, directing that at Connie. "They want you too and that's the first place they'll look. I don't think they'll do anything to any of them, but I don't want to take any chances."

He grabbed his own bag of chips, already open, and started to munch. "I'm pretty sure I can get dad to understand, but I'm a little worried about your parents. They are very upset with me and you leaving a second time probably only made things worse." Connie nodded.

"I'm sure they will be mad, but I agree Steven. We have to try. I think we can convince them." She was also getting teary eyed. Steven sighed inside a little. _Everybody's always crying anymore. I wonder if we're going to forget how to laugh. ___

They got the rest of their belongings together - mostly Steven's stuff. Gems traveled light. He chortled at that. Gems are _made_ of light. Of course they travel that way. The rest just looked at him wondering what was so damn funny. This was serious!

Lapis knelt down and Peridot climbed on her back. She was about to spread her wings when Connie thought of something.

"Peridot, I've been thinking. Your metal powers are pretty good now." Peridot smiled at that. "Well, I was reading how there is a lot of iron in dirt. Maybe you could start trying to move that around too ...?"

Peridot looked at her like she'd lost her mind. "Pfft, don't be silly. Dirt isn't metal," she exclaimed, dismissing the idea out of hand.

Connie just said "oh". Lapis spread her wings and took off. "We'll meet you in Florid near that big lake, okay?" Steven waved in agreement and jumped on Lion's back. Connie and Ruby joined him and Lion opened another portal. Time to go. Steven took one last look around as Lion jumped into the light.


	16. A Human Perspective

President Carr prepared to call the meeting back to order. Breakfast had been ordered and delivered to the briefing room. An hour break had been called so people could make phone calls, cancel appointments, eat and attend to other urgent personal needs. Some people had to leave, others arrived fresh. Aides walked around the table, clearing away wrappers, paper cups and plastic ware. Water jugs and the coffee station were replenished, the pastry bar reloaded and all non essential personnel had left the room.

"Joseph," Phoebe said, collecting her gear, "I have those meetings we discuss earlier. I'll get back with you later." Joseph nodded absentmindedly, engrossed in several documents recently delivered.

"I understand, let me know when you're free. Thanks, Pheebs. People!" He waited until chatter in the room died out. "Bob, do you have that information I requested?"

Robert Colfax peered over his glasses and answered. "Yes sir. I'm going to turn this over to my assistant with your permission." Joseph nodded.

Douglas Blount walked to the front of the room and took up position behind the lectern. "Before I proceed, I remind everyone this meeting is classified Top Secret. My name is Douglas Blount. I'm a CIA supervisor overseeing our efforts to observe and monitor the gems located in Delmarva, specifically the town of 'Beach City'. I will be referring to these gems as simply 'gems' or 'DMV gems' if I need to clarify. Each of you is being provided a dossier that will cover the comments I'm about to discuss in more detail. I am only hitting the highlights at this time."

He pulled out some notes and placed them on the lectern, referring to them occasionally. He mostly spoke from memory, however.

"There have been a total of six known gems in this group. These are, subject one: 'Rose Quartz, subject two: 'Pearl', subject three: 'Amethyst', subject four: 'Garnet', subject five: 'Peridot' and subject six: 'Lapis Lazuli'. One gem, the one known as Garnet, is actually a 'fusion' of two other gems: subject four-alpha: 'Ruby' and subject four-bravo: 'Sapphire'. See attachment 'F' for details on fusion. Another gem, subject seven: Jasper, has been identified but is not considered part of this group. It is common practice to refer to gems by their 'subject' designation but that is often confusing in these types of settings, so I will be using their gem type names. As a quick side note, I should point out that gems are so called because they always display a gemstone somewhere on their body. These gemstones are the basis for the names we're using for them.

"There are also a variety of other gems scattered around the globe. These are typically designated as 'degenerate' gems with a code number. I believe Dr. Wilcox prefers the term 'corrupted'." He turned to Randall who nodded in confirmation. "There are too many of these gems to cover here. Whereas gems are normally humanoid in appearance, degenerate gems are often fantastical in appearance and erratic in their behavior. They are usually dangerous and extremely difficult to contain. See case file 78-192: '1978 Sasquatch Incident' for an example of what I mean. A redacted version of this report has been declassified and released. The original, and still classified, version is available upon request.

"Subjects one through four have been in the Delmarva region for at least 2,500 years. They have been active for at least that long and possibly longer. They seem to have had little to no interest in human affairs. We in turn have generally stayed out of their way as they spend most of their time hunting and removing degenerate gems. This has been a beneficial arrangement for them and us.

"This has changed. Rose Quartz disappeared sixteen years ago. A child became part of the group at that time. Most researchers believe this child, which has a gemstone in its navel identical to the gemstone in Rose Quartz, is in fact Rose Quartz that somehow transformed into the child. Others dispute this claim, arguing this is not possible. We take the majority view and consider the boy to be Rose Quartz's 'child' and she as the 'mom'. This child is, by any estimation, unusual and not human though we suspect he may be partly human - this is a controversial view that our team believes to be correct. The implications of this, of course, are staggering if true.

"The presumed 'father' of the child is a former musician named 'Greg Universe' who owns and runs a car wash in Beach City known as 'It's A Wash'. He is the only employee. The child is named 'Steven Universe'. He is sixteen years old but has not changed his appearance since around the age of ten. It was this event, the so-called 'birth' of Steven Universe, that precipitated the formation of the Crystal Gem Team or CGT of which I am the current supervisor. I should quickly note that 'Crystal Gems' is how the gems refer to themselves.

"Mr. Universe was financially unstable for most of his life but recently came in to a large cash settlement - ten million dollars - with a recording company. We've confirmed that this amount is correct and that it is a valid transaction. We've eliminated foreign nationals as the source of this transaction as well as other forms of fraud or money laundering. It would appear that Mr. Universe is in fact a millionaire. His subsequent behavior did raise concerns at first, however.

"Mr. Universe went on a spending spree shortly afterwards in Empire City with his son and the gem known as 'Pearl'. He rented a small yacht and sailed with his son and the gem known as 'Lapis Lazuli'. The boat ended up being damaged and he had to purchase it. These are the only sizable purchases he's made, apart from a used ..." He checked his notes. "Dondai. He has made very few changes to his life style otherwise. He continues to live in a van for example. This made us extremely suspicious of him for a time, but we've concluded he is just an idiot.

"Each gem has various abilities. Subject one, Rose Quartz, is the presumed leader of the group. She has some sort of ability to animate plants and has a remarkable affinity with Earth life in general. She is the only gem to manifest these abilities. Subject two, Pearl, has the ability to project physical copies of herself and is extremely adept with the use of spears. Subject three, Amethyst, is strong and uses whips. Subject four, Garnet, has two large gauntlets that are extremely durable. She can resist high temperature, and has an uncanny, preternatural ability to anticipate which future events are more likely to come about. Subject five, Peridot, is the weakest of the gems but has recently shown an ability to manipulate iron and possibly other metals. Her abilities have been feeble to date but have shown improvement recently."

He took a second before proceeding. "Subject six, Lapis Lazuli, is perhaps the most powerful of the gems. She can manipulate water and evidently is unbounded. She is entirely responsible for the 'Ocean Tower' incident. No other gem has shown capabilities on that scale. Our team considers her the most dangerous gem and the first gem to be eliminated in the event of hostilities between humans and gems. She has wings and can fly.

"On that note, there are abilities that all, or most, gems seem to possess. They can change their shapes. We didn't think the child gem could at first but we now know he can to a degree. See attachment 'C' - Cat Fingers - for details. The Peridot and Lapis Lazulis gems have not manifested this ability to date but we assume that they can. Gems can float, jump and or fly. They also have some sort of tech that allows them to travel great distances nearly instantaneously. See attachment 'G' for more information on gem tech and our failed efforts to acquire, understand or exploit it.

"We put a surveillance team in place in the community shortly after the 'birth' of Steven Universe. This team has kept close tabs on the gems and is the primary source of our information. Our team leader on the ground, known as 'S', runs a luggage shop on the boardwalk. This shop is our base of operations. Certain events have caused us to step up our efforts and we now have three separate teams - one observing the primary domicile, another watching an area known as the 'barn', and the third monitoring Greg Universe and other citizens of interest including the mayor, a one William Dewey.

"There was a major incursion of our planetary space several years ago. A ship shaped like a hand appeared and seemed to battle the DMV gems. This was our first documented encounter with subjects five, six and seven. As a side note, subject six, Lapis Lazuli, did appear briefly earlier and created a major ecological incident you are all probably familiar with - the so-called 'Ocean Tower' event I've already alluded to and which I will not be covering here. See attachment 'B' for a summary of that event. We originally had a separate team for this gem until she showed up on the hand ship. That is when our team took over responsibility for her. It was later learned that Peridot, subject five, did visit Earth prior to these events as well.

"One of those gems, Peridot, appeared to join the DMV gems after the ship was destroyed. There is some evidence to suggest this gem was a reluctant member at first but fully aligned herself at some point later. Gems six and seven fused at the time of the hand ship destruction and were unseen for several months. Lapis Lazuli, subject six, appeared later and also seems to have joined the DMV gems. We have reports that there was a confrontation between the DMV gems including the child and Jasper, subject seven. Jasper has not been seen since.

"It was shortly after the Lapis Lazuli gem joined the DMV gems that additional space craft appeared. It was at this time that the lunar artifact was discovered. The pulse event described in attachment 'A' precipitated several disturbing changes with the gems. First, the fusion Garnet came apart and no longer exists. The two constituent gems, Ruby and Sapphire, along with Amethyst began to behave oddly and are malformed though there is some debate as to whether they should be classified a degenerate. The Pearl gem has not lost her shape, but her eyes are abnormal now. Several battles have taken place at the gem domicile since."

He paused and looked around the room. "It appears the child gem, Steven Universe, can 'fuse' with humans. We'd heard that from our field agents but discounted it at first. We can no longer deny the evidence - a human / gem fusion known as 'Stevonnie' exists. The human is a child known as Connie Maheswaran. Her mother, Priyanka Maheswaran, is a doctor at a nearby hospital and her father, Doug Maheswaran, is a security guard. She is about fourteen years old and was about twelve when she and Steven Universe first fused.

"The Stevonnie fusion battled with the Amethyst gem and finally defeated it. We do not know what happened to that gem. The child and his father stayed with a family friend, Vidalia Yellowtail afterward. The child moved to the barn location a few days ago and the two gems, Peridot and Lapis Lazuli, went to the gem domicile shortly thereafter. A fresh battle broke out two days later. The two gems battled the 'Pearl' gem who we believe was prevailing but left the battle for an unknown reason. The Ruby gem chased the Peridot back to the barn, leaving a literal path of destruction behind her. We don't have confirmation what happened, but there appears to have been another fusion. The human child, Connie Maheswaran has since appeared at the barn with Steven Universe. He have a recent report that their was a some kind of confrontation recently between Steven Universe, Ms. Maheswaran and the 'Pearl' gem. The details of that event are still being analyzed.

"This concludes my portion of the briefing." With that, he nodded to Joseph and returned to his seat.

Joseph looked around the room. He spoke briefly. "Gentlemen, ladies, there is something going on with the gems. That's bad enough, but the appearance of Yellow Diamond has turned this into a serious crisis. I have placed the military on DEFCON3. We are in contact with other governments and will be coordinating a plan of action shortly. Please clear your calendars for the next ... two days. You and your senior deputies are on twenty four hour recall until further notice. Anyone on leave, vacation or otherwise indisposed are to be called in immediately. I expect to hear back from you no more than ten minutes after reaching out to you. You are dismissed. Bob, Preston, Samuel, please remain. Cora - inform Linda to let me know immediately when Secretary Stockwell is available."

President Carr pushed back into his chair and took a breath. _Christ. What do we do now?_ He rubbed his eyes and stood for no other reason than to simply move. He sat down with a fresh sigh. _One thing at a time._


	17. A Diamond's Love

Yellow! It's so good to see you again!

_Hello, White. You're looking well. How's your Pearl?_

Oh, she's wonderful! We'd been apart for so long that I began to despair we'd ever join again. My only regret is that I had to enthrall her before she'd return.

_Yes, I suppose so. Are you going to lift it?_

It is my wish. It makes our joining difficult. She's there, but its forced. She still has split loyalties between me and Rose. It will take some time before she can resolve that. And it will take some time before we can find a way to lift the thrall in any case.

_I know I'm repeating myself, but I still think that was an unnecessary risk._

Joining with an enthralled gem? Yes, I know. But in a way, it has brought us closer. The thrall was designed with both of us in mind, not just Pearl.

_Oh? You never mentioned that._

Oh, don't give me that look. You've always known how important Pearl has been to me. Gifting her to Pink was the most difficult decision I've ever made. And it turned out badly. We're back together again now. Is that really so bad?

_You know my feelings. You have given a gem unprecedented access to a diamond. You have willingly relinquished part of your autonomy to your pearl._

Yes, I have. And I'll be honest, it's exciting. I haven't felt this way since you first emerged. You remember. Ha! You were a hand full to say the least. Oh, _please_ , don't try to act innocent with me. You know good and well what you did to Blue. I had to give her one of my own colonies to mollify her. You still owe me for that, don't think I've forgotten.

_Heh. Yeah, I know, I know. But it was worth it - the look on her face! You know, I don't think she's entirely gotten over it. Okay, that's enough of that._

_< sigh>_ I suppose. So, how are you progressing?

_We've selected a new kindergarten. We scouted several sites and there are in fact many suitable locations. The site we've selected is the best all around, though other sites may be better in certain aspects._

Yes.

_My peridot has presented her final report and we are ready to prepare the new kindergarten. The injectors are en route from the fourth planet of this system and will be here once we're ready for them. We await your word, my diamond._

Are you sure about this? Pearl believes strongly this is wrong. Should we reconsider our plans?

_Perhaps your pearl is still under the spell of the renegade rose quartz. They both did tend to prattle on about how the life on this planet has worth. That was the same sort of nonsense the peridot I told you of before was spouting._

That has occurred to me. Still, she is adamant in her opinion. It has caused us ... difficulties ... when I've requested information from her.

_Oh? How so?_

You know of the new form Rose Quartz took recently, but are you aware it can fuse with native life forms known as "humans"? Ah, I didn't think so. I was shocked to learn of it myself. Pearl resisted revealing the existence of this creature. I'm afraid I had to restore the thrall to full strength before she relented.

_What did she tell you?_

Only that Rose fuses with a human child. She goes by the name "Stevonnie". I know, I don't get it either. This Stevonnie is quite formidable, or so Pearl believes. We've met, this abomination and I, and I wasn't impressed. Still, Pearl feels otherwise. I'm reluctant to discard her feelings in this too casualy.

_Uh huh. You sure she isn't trying to reverse the thrall on you?_

Oh, Yellow! Now you're just being silly.

 _Heh. But, as for your question, yes - I'm satisfied we're doing the right thing. Nothing of the indigenous life -_ organic _life, I remind you - indicates it has any intrinsic worth. But, as always, it will be as you will, my diamond._

Thank you Yellow. Your council is always a comfort. Let's proceed. For now. Please keep me informed of your progress. And I appreciate you taking the time to speak with me. I always cherish our time together.

_As do I. I must leave now. Please send my regards to your Pearl. Farewell, White._

* * *

Pearl.

_Yes, my diamond?_

I wish to speak with you.

_Of course._

Are you aware of your condition?

_The thrall? Only a little._

The thrall allows me to control you, to bend you to my will. You know this, right?

_Yes, my diamond. It is why I returned to you._

Yes. I've regretted that. I wish to release you from the thrall, but for now I can't. I have gems working on the problem as we speak, however.

_Thank you, my diamond._

Are you aware that the thrall was not only customized for you, but for me as well?

_No ... I wasn't._

Yes. We are both enthralled. I hear the same song as you.

_My diamond ... I ..._

This was at my request. I so wanted you to come back to me and the thrall was the only way I could do that. But I loath the fact that you're with me by force. You know I've relaxed the thrall to the extent that I can.

_Yes. But you still use it when it suits your needs. Like with Stevonnie._

Yes, I do. You mustn't hold back from me. You must trust me with what you know.

_Why should I when you can force my obedience? Of what value is my trust if it isn't given freely?_

Oh, Pearl, you cut me deeply with your words. But their truth cannot be denied. So I ask that you give your trust freely. Yes, I will force you to obey if I feel I must, but it isn't what I want. It is my heart's desire that your trust be as your love - honest and unrestrained.

So, I tell you this. The thrall goes both ways. You cannot compel me as I can compel you, but you can know anything I know as you wish. This is my gift to you. I will not - I _cannot_ \- lie to you and neither can I hide my thoughts from you. You are my beloved Pearl. For you, I give you my heart, openly, unfettered and unrestrained.

_Oh, My Diamond!_

Come to me, Pearl. Come to me and let's be together again as we once were.

_Yes, my diamond. My Love! I am here. I am with you. We are together again, as we once were. My Beloved._

Oh, My Pearl!


	18. Greg

"Dad!" Steven bounded off Lion and ran to Greg, reverting to his regular form again as he did. Connie and Ruby dropped to the ground and walked over.

Greg held Steven by his shoulders. "Steven? There you are! You keep disappearing on me! Vidalia is beside herself. And don't even ask me about Onion. I won't answer."

Greg swept Steven into his arms and they held each other tightly for several seconds. Greg finally released Steven and turned to Connie.

"Are you okay, Connie? What are you doing here? Your parents won't like this."

Steven told Greg what had happened with Ruby, what he'd learned about Connie and their confrontation with Pearl.

"Dad, Connie can't stay with her parents. The gems are too powerful, so she's staying with me. We're leaving and you need to go with us. Pearl said they're coming soon so we can't delay."

Greg gave Steven a skeptical look. "I don't know, Steven. I mean, where would we go?" Steven pulled up his resolve, sliding to his new form as he spoke, determination saturating his voice.

"The home world gems will look for me and Connie right off. They are very upset with both of us and they will start with you and Connie's parents. I don't know what they'll do to you when they can't find us and I don't want to find out. And don't forget how Pearl reacted to you when she saw you. You can't take any chances. Come with us or hide somewhere, but don't stay here!"

"So where are you going?"

"I'm sorry dad, but I'm not telling you unless you agree to come with me. I can't risk the gems finding out." Greg was a little hurt by that, but it made sense.

"Is this really happening? Is this the start of a new war? Can you really resist the gems."

"It looks that way. Only this time, mom isn't here. It's just me."

Greg looked at his son for several long seconds. The responsibility he must be feeling has to be overwhelming. It's a wonder he hasn't reverted again. _I know I would if I could. But now that I think of it, he does look different somehow. More like how Rose could be sometimes._

"Okay, Steven. I'll come with you. But what about Connie's parents? I know about gems. I know what you're talking about. But Priyanka and Doug don't. They can both be very stubborn when they get it in their head to be that way. Do you really think you can get them to agree?"

"We have to try, Mr. Universe. Steven's right. I spoke with Pearl. She was channeling White Diamond. She was really upset with Stevonnie and she was so powerful. Peridot told us they're looking for me because of Stevonnie. Pearl knows where my parents live and she'll go there to find me. We have to get them to understand."

"That's why I want you to come with us. They see us as kids. Especially Connie. You know what I am, I mean with me having mom's gem and all, but they have no idea. Maybe they'll listen to you."

Greg considered then agreed. Steven continued. "Lapis and Peridot have left the barn. Ruby is coming with us. That way we have three of us in case we have to deal with any problems." He thought for a second. "I don't want to go to Connie's house riding Lion. We'll have to drive."

Greg crawled into his van and he started the engine then looked as Steven and Connie stood outside it. "Um, dad?" Steven started. "Can we take the dondai? We could use both cars but you can't drive both ... sooo ..."

Greg looked sideways at Steven, scrunching his eyebrows. "Steven. You can't drive. Neither can Connie. You're both too young. I've never even taught you."

"Um, no, but, um, Stevonnie can ... ?"

"Wait. What? _Stevonnie?_ Since when?"

"Weeellll ... she kind of borrowed it one day. Kevin was being a big jerk and so Stevonnie ... _ow_ "

Connie had kicked Steven's ankle and was looking at Greg with her patented, big eyed girly look. "Stevonnie needed to go ... somewhere ... and so she borrowed your car. We were going to tell you, but never had the chance. We're sorry, Mr. Universe."

Greg stammered for a few seconds then sat back. "Was she any good at it?"

"Oh, yeah!" Steven answered! "She was gre... _ow!_ Yes. She can drive a manual transmission and everything." He pulled out his puppy dog eyes and joined Connie in her effort to get Greg to agree. He never stood a chance. He shut off the van's engine, went into the office of the car wash and threw the spare keys to Steven.

"You go ahead then. I'm going to shut down the car wash. I almost forgot about that. Drive safely, okay? I'll meet you at Connie's house."

Steven grinned as he caught the keys. "Thanks, dad! Lion, you go in the van with dad! Keep an eye on him for me, okay?" Lion gave a look like he didn't approve of this, but he jumped in the back and sat on Greg's mattress. Steven grabbed Connie's hand and they touched their foreheads together. They'd learned to make their fusion dance efficient in order to speed up fusing. A flash of light erupted then quickly subsided and Stevonnie stood in their place, running her hand through her hair and pulling it behind her back.

"Thanks, dad!" she called out, taking Greg by surprise. _I have a daughter now?_ he thought to himself. _Oh, man._

"Um, sure. Just drive carefully, okay?" Stevonnie nodded in agreement, jumped in the little hatchback and sped off down the road with Ruby in the right seat. Greg stared, wondering what she considered unsafe to be. He went through the process of shutting down and securing the car wash. He stood next to the van once he was done and wondered if he'd ever be back. Sighing, he made a final check then started the van and drove out of town. He was familiar with Lion and all, but still - there was a _lion_ in the back of his van! _Whoo, boy._

He turned the corner leading to Connie's house a short time later. He noticed the dondai was parked down the road. Ruby stood next to it, as if standing guard, a shimmer of heat air rising about her. He noticed Steven and Connie stood behind her; they must have unfused. But why were they just standing there? And what were they looking at? He glanced in the direction of their stares and suddenly slammed on his brakes.

A green figure with oddly shaped yellow hair was standing on the Maheswaran's front porch.

* * *

Men and women in tactical gear suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Cars, vans and assault vehicles pulled up, sirens piercing the air and lights flashing. They surrounded the house and began to converge on the peridot. The gem, for her part, just stared back, clearly confused. Bullhorns emerged and loud, angry voices echoed down the street.

Greg set the brake, stepped out of the van and walked to the back to let Lion out. His eyes never left the scene unfolding before him. Lion walked over to Steven and assumed a protective stance. Ruby's heat emanated in waves, the grass beneath her feet wilting, her eyes fierce and her gauntlet in hand. Connie and Steven held hands and watched as humans confronted the gem. They acted like they had everything under control, but Steven seriously doubted that.

The door opened and Priyanka stepped out, causing the peridot to flinch and setting off a flurry of activity. Men wearing vests and holding guns with two hands advanced on the porch from the side. Dogs on leashes pulled their handlers forward, teeth bared and feet sliding on the pavement in their frenzy to attack. The peridot looked around, her fingers floating freely, a device of some sort appearing before her.

Two of the men rushed the porch. One of them took Priyanka in his arms and carried her forward and away from the gem as the other tackled it. The gem fell to the ground and immediately stood back up, sloughing off her attacker with barely any effort. She did something next, no one recalled exactly what later, that everyone agreed was clearly an attack. Actually, she just recovered her data portal but somehow it looked like a weapon. Or something.

In any case, it was enough to cause several shots to be fired towards the peridot. One bullet struck her in her gem, placed prominently on her chest, and a crack appeared. Steven jolted as the sound of the impact reached him. The peridot fell and began to shift its shape, clearly damaged.

Steven didn't think. He created a bubble around the peridot and drew it to him then extended it to include his friends. "Ruby, Connie - we have to go. Lion! Take us away! Anywhere!"

He mounted Lion, holding the wounded peridot on the mane before him and waited while Connie and Ruby climed abord. "Ruby!", Connie cried out. "Cool off some - you're going to burn me!" Ruby shook her head and dialed down her heat. Lion opened a portal and they were gone. Greg found himself suddenly confronted by several angry federal officers and swallowed.

"Be careful, Steven."


	19. Healing

The peridot awoke as Lion emerged from his portal. She felt her gem. The crack was deep and long. It covered the full length of her. This is bad. She was just barely together. Virtually anything would cause her to shatter and that would be the end of her. She shivered. Her form jolted suddenly, struggling to hold its shape. The tremors subsided, but she knew she was out of shape.

She was scared. She'd been dissipated before. That was nothing. Annoying, but at least it gave her a chance to reconfigure herself, so it wasn't all bad. But cracked? You don't recover from a crack. She'd known her share of cracked gems. They were a pathetic lot. Most ended up being harvested. Those that weren't were outcasts, barely considered gems at all. They were allowed to wander and do whatever they wanted as long as they stayed out of the way. Gems without a purpose weren't gems at all, however. They always just ... disappeared. No one knew where and, let's be honest here, no one cared. They were cracked gems, after all. Worthless, meaningless, rocks.

The rose quartz helped her down to the ground. She was being remarkably careful, as if she was trying not exacerbate the crack. That was odd. The other gem assisted. She seemed angry or something. There was a human nearby as well. She struggled to listen as they talked.

"Look, I know you want to heal her, but think about what you're saying! She's _home_ world! If you heal her, she'll just go back and join them!"

That had to be the ruby. They all sounded the same to her. She jolted again, her form struggling to stabilize. What was a ruby doing here? Why was she helping the rose quartz anyway? The crack was making it hard to think. These must be the crystal gems she'd been told about. Well, that was that. They could just drop her on the ground and she'd shatter into a thousand shards.

She started to cry. Gems don't have a sense of mortality. They pretty much exist forever. They can be shattered of course - she was proof of that - but it wasn't something a gem thought about. The idea that she'd cease to be as abruptly as she came to be was disturbing in a way she couldn't deal with. She had no framework, no context, with which to make sense of her impending end. Her impaired ability to think just made it that much worse. Or maybe it made it better, she had no way of knowing. The voices found their way to her consciousness again.

"Steven! Look! She's crying! We can't just leave her like this!"

What was that? Was that the human? Why did the rose quartz associate with this human? She didn't believe that part of the report when she first read it. That simply didn't make any sense. But here she was. And who was she talking about anyway? Oh, wait - was it her? Was she crying? Yes. But why? Then she remembered - she was cracked.

The rose quartz then did something totally unexpected. She raised her hand to her mouth, licked it, then placed it on her gem. She felt a shimmer, a glow as her gem started to repair itself. Repair! What!?! No, that wasn't possible. Cracked gems can't _be_ repaired. That's always been the case. Still, she felt it. Her gem was more solid, more like it was before. Her thoughts weren't so chaotic, her form less erratic. But, no, she wasn't healed. She remained cracked. She knew wouldn't work. She would have rather been shattered than this.

The rose quartz looked at the human for a second then turned back and repeated the same action. Again, she felt her gem improve. She really was healing, it was true. But how. Even so, she'd been badly cracked. Whatever the rose quartz was doing wasn't enough.

She looked up and saw something she never expected to see. The rose quartz was crying. Tears really were streaming down her face. The human was crying too. Nothing in her entire existence prepared her for this. Were ... were they crying for _her?_ Why? She was a cracked gem - no one cried for cracked gems.

The rose quartz then did the most unexpected thing she could have possibly done. She cradled the peridot in her arms and ... kissed her gem. She felt it. It was ... tender, and suddenly her gem became intact. She was whole! She was ... healed! This was impossible!

The ruby seemed angry. "Now what, Steven? You've healed her - so what are you going to do with her? Are you going to poof her? You could have just bubbled her if that was all you were going to do!"

Poof? Did she mean dissipate? That would make sense. The ruby wouldn't be able to do it, but it would be child's play for a rose quartz. She braced her self.

"No, Ruby. I won't do that. I'm going to set her free. She's healed now. We can leave her here. Maybe she'll find her way back to the other home world gems, maybe she won't - I don't know. But she's not a threat to us. Peridot, can your hear me?"

She nodded. This ... this was not at all what she expected. The rose quartz was just going to let her go free. After healing her? What next? Would she fuse with a diamond?

"Okay. We're leaving. Be careful, okay?"

She nodded again. The rose quartz leapt on to the back of a creature that she was noticing for the first time. The ruby and the human joined her, the ruby shooting daggers at the peridot, then the creature roared, a portal opened and they were gone.

_What on home world just happened?_


	20. Debriefing

Look, just back up and start over. Pretend I don't know anything. What happened?

_Yes sir. Our CGT team was observing the home of the Maheswaran child. She and the human gem had confronted subject two, and had been seen at..._

Do me a favor. I know you guys like to talk subject numbers with these gems but I just can't keep it straight. Use their gem type names.

_Of course. That was the pearl gem. Ms. Maheswaran and the human gem had traveled to the primary domicile on board their lion. They appeared to ..._

You know, I'm still trying to get my head around this whole "lion" thing. So the human gem has a pet ... lion. A pet _pink_ lion. That can walk on water.

_Yes sir._

And this lion just roars and makes some kind of light appear and jumps in and disappears. Some kind of teleporter device. Like Star Trek.

_Yes sir._

And no one has thought to _capture_ this lion? You just let a lion run loose among people?

_No sir, there have been several attempts. This lion doesn't seem susceptible to tranqs - they just makes it mad - and we can't contain it. It just teleports away whenever we capture it. We're researching this, but so far we don't have any answers for how to capture it. And there have never been reports of the lion threatening or attacking any humans. It behaves more like an over sized house cat if anything._

Fine. Go on.

_The human gem and the Maheswaran child have been traveling together with their lion much more frequently than in the past. Our CGT team has had a surveillance unit on the Maheswaran house and a gem ship appeared in the neighborhood._

This is the first time any of the gems have interacted directly with humans, yes?

_No sir. The DMV gems interact with humans in Beach City on a regular basis and there have been several sightings of gems at the Maheswaran residence. However, this was the first time a gem ship has shown up in a human residential area._

That's what I meant. Keep going.

_Yes sir. We decided this represented a possible threat to humans so we alerted our strike force. Reports came in later that a type five gem - excuse me, a peridot type gem - exited the ship and approached the Maheswaran residence. That's when the lead field agent on the scene made the call. She was concerned this off world gem was going to harm the Maheswarans._

Did she have any direct evidence this was true? Do we _know_ these gems pose a threat to humans?

_No sir. It was a matter of prudence. Don't forget, we've been at a high level of readiness ever since the arrival of the diamond ship. No one knows what the intentions of these gems are but we all agree they represent a threat. This gem directly approaching a human residence - one associated with DMV gems - set off alarms. The field agent made a judgement call._

Do you agree with it?

_Yes sir._

Okay. Go on.

_The field agent gave the green light and the strike team moved in. Dr. Maheswaran opened the door and the off world gem reacted to it. There are conflicting reports what that reaction represented. Some thought it to be a startle response, others saw it as hostile. The strike leader took one of his men with him and approached from the side of the house. The gem seemed to consult a device of some sort and they saw an opportunity to extricate Dr. Maheswaran while the gem was distracted. That's when the two agents rushed the porch. The strike leader removed the doctor as his partner intercepted the gem._

That was ballsy. That gem could have done anything to him as far as we know.

_Yes sir. He says there wasn't time to think about it. They needed to get the civilian out of the danger zone._

So what happened next. That's when the gem was shot, right?

_Yes sir. The gem basically threw our agent off its back like he was a small child. She then pulled out a device which most agents on the scene interpreted as a weapon. That's when shots were fired._

Do we know who actually shot the gem?

_No sir. There were three shooters but we don't know which one hit the gem._

Was it killed?

_We can't say. The human gem extended one of his protective bubbles around it ..._

Yeah, tell me about that. There were other gems on site with a big assed _lion_ and no one noticed.

_Ahem. Uh, no sir. They appeared after the strike team was sent in and evidently no one registered their presence._

No one saw a red gem and a big-assed _lion_. That was just business as usual for them.

_No sir, it's just that in the heat of the moment no one took note of them. They were concerned with the peridot gem and the threat it represented to the Maheswarans. People were pretty focused on that at the time._

Yes. Well, maybe a refresher in situational awareness is in order.

_Yes sir._

Well, go on. Finish your report.

_Yes sir. The human gem appeared to bubble the wounded gem ..._

So you're satisfied it was wounded then?

_We can't be certain, but that was the impression. The gem fell over and its form began to shift erratically. The human gem bubbled it ..._

I didn't know he could use his bubble at a distance like that.

_We didn't either. This was new. He brought the wounded gem to him with his bubble then he, the human child, the ruby gem and the lion teleported. We don't know where._

Taking the wounded gem with him.

_Yes sir._

And the parents. You said you have Greg Universe, Dr. Maheswaran and her husband in custody. Where are they?

_They're being interrogated. We're planning on releasing the Maheswarans shortly. We're holding on to the father._

You think he's holding out on us?

_Maybe. We're not sure._

Okay. That'll do. I'll brief Colfax. I want commendations for the two agents that rescued the doctor. Dismissed.


	21. Shattering gems

Hand me the line, Pearl. I'll handle this.

Did you just say the humans shattered a gem?

_My Diamond! No ma'am. We believe she was only cracked._

You're sure about that?

_Yes, my diamond. The ship has a crew of three rubies ..._

Rubies? You're basing this on a report from a ruby?

_No, my diamond. They were monitoring the peridot and we have a visual record. There was a clear and unmistakable crack in the peridot's gem. It appeared serious. We think it was merely chance that she wasn't shattered._

Are you saying the humans can shatter a gem?

_Yes, my diamond._

Humans.

_Uh, yes, my diamond._

How? How can _humans_ shatter gems? Their tech is woefully primitive.

_My diamond. They still use projectile technology but they no longer rely on their own strength to cast their weapons. They've learned to harness chemical energy that can propel metal slugs at high velocity, imparting high kinetic energies to them. These weapons are very powerful. They can shatter any gem with the correct weapon._

_Any_ gem?

_Y-yes, my diamond ... any ... gem._

Including diamonds?

_Yes ... my diamond._

...

_My diamond?_

Why was the peridot at that location?

_My diamond. She was looking for the human child._

Why there?

_My diamond. Telemetric reports indicated that the creature the rose quartz rides had opened a portal at that location recently. She was there to see if the human child was at that location._

Was she?

_No, my diamond. Um, well, actually she was but ..._

Which was it? Was she there or wasn't she?

_My diamond. She wasn't at the location when the ship arrived but showed up a short time later with rose quartz and a ruby. On that creature ..._

You're telling me that rose quartz, the human, some ruby and that creature were at the site and no one apprehended them?

_No, my diamond. The humans assaulted the peridot shortly thereafter and the rubies were focused on what was happening to her._

Explain to me why no one has delivered some shards to me ...

No, never mind. I'm sure they did the best they could. The new generation of rubies are a disappointment.

_Yes, my diamond._

Who was the ruby? Why was she with Rose Quartz?

_We believe she was one of the gems that made up the garnet._

Garnet? Clarify!

_My diamond? The garnet, um, the crystal gems garnet ...?_

Are you sure? Choose your words carefully!

_As sure ... excuse me ... my diamond ... um, we believe so, yes. It appears the enthralled ruby is now with the rose quartz again and ..._

Leave me! Now!

Pearl, come with me. We must speak with White immediately!


	22. Sisters

White Diamond stood looking at the murals of her and her sisters. She lingered on one, a dramatic figure bursting forth from her incubation chamber and holding her colony in her hand. _Pink._ So full of life and promise. Her eyes glistened.

She heard a familiar sound behind her and turned. Two warp pads had been installed, one connecting to the colony network and another to the galaxy network. The latter was the only such pad installed in this system away from the planet side galaxy warp complex and was for her exclusive use.

Two figures appeared on the planetary pad. Tall, stately, they stepped forward and curtsied. "My diamond," they spoke in unison, their voices filling the chamber.

"Sisters! Oh, what a wonderful surprise! Come! Let me look at the two of you!"

The two diamonds stepped forward, each taking one of White's hands.

"Blue, it's been forever! You so rarely visit anymore! Yellow stops by, always busy with barely any time to talk, but you! You're little more than a memory at my court. I've missed your company so."

Yellow glanced at Blue with a "told you so" smirk. Blue just stared forward, the corner of her mouth pulled up ever so slightly. The two diamonds clasped each other hands even as they continued to hold White's. The three of them lowered their heads and closed their eyes. A light began to shine around them. Tendrils of colored light moved across their forms, little baby lightening bolts that shimmered and danced between them. They held each other for several long moments until the light began to subside and finally extinguish.

"Okay, as much as I would wish it so, I know this isn't a social call. You two never were much for that sort of thing. I always had to visit your courts if I wanted to see you for anything other than imperial business. What's on your mind?"

White dropped their hands, but not her smile. She was so happy to see the two of them at the same time.

Blue spoke first. "Yellow tells me you've enthralled some gems, including your pearl."

White's countenance fell slightly, the smile degraded and a little bitter but still there. "Yes, I'm afraid so. Once we decided to reopen this colony, I knew this was my opportunity to be with her again. However, she was still under Rose's spell, so I had to use a thrall."

"That's not like you. You've always been so egalitarian. Which I admit always seemed so odd - you, the most powerful being in existence, caring what other, lesser, beings think. I find it hard to believe you _forced_ your pearl to return to you. With a thrall, no less."

White's smile stepped aside to make room for a pained frown. "Oh, Blue, you're so hurtful sometimes. But yes, you are correct. I gather Yellow told you." Yellow nodded. "I'm working on a way to have it removed. I regretted it almost from the moment I used it. My Pearl ..."

"I also hear from some in my court that you also enthralled the remaining Crystal Gems."

"Yes. Some of them. The core group - Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl. But a few managed to protect themselves - Rose, Peridot and Lapis Lazuli. And there are some others that are unaccounted for."

Yellow interjected. "I have reports that the ruby is no longer enthralled. Is that true? Is that even _possible?_ "

White shot Yellow a warning. She put up with them and their personality quirks - they were as she made them after all - but there were limits. She accepted them as sisters, but daughters was really more like it. Yellow, especially, tended to press that line.

"Yes. I'm not sure how. Rose and the preridot fused with her. That should have enthralled those two along with the ruby, but for some reason it didn't. Somehow the ruby managed to isolate the thrall and quarantine it from the rest of her consciousness. It's still there, but it no longer interacts with her. But we can still track it. Rose doesn't realize it, but as long as she has that ruby with her, I know where she is."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

 _Always testing my patience, this one._ "It wasn't any of your concern. My gems are aware of the issue and are working to understand it so we can prevent it from happening again. I will inform you of something when I am ready to. This does not impact your efforts with this colony or your courts. Don't speak of this again."

Yellow backed off. "Yes, my diamond."

"So, Blue. Why are you here? This is what I expect from Yellow" she gave Yellow a _don't worry about it_ smile and turned back to Blue. "But this isn't you. You don't care about these issues, so what brings you here, to my presence?"

Blue lowered her head in confirmation and deference. "Yes, my diamond. You are correct. There's more. Yellow tells me humans have the technology now to shatter gems. All gems, including diamonds."

"Oh, posh. Don't be silly. Yellow, where do you get this stuff?" she laughed, her smile spreading to the rest of her face.

Yellow did not return the smile. "It's true, my diamond. They damaged one of my peridots and my gems tell me it that it was only by chance that they didn't shatter her. They assure me the humans have technology that can shatter even us."

White let her laughter trail away. Yellow was not given to overreacting. She never made claims of this importance unless she was sure of herself.

"You're serious, then?"

"Yes, my diamond. The humans are a risk to our existence."

"I see. I didn't know. I will consult with Pearl and share what I learn. Please leave me now."

The two diamonds curtsied a second time and stepped onto the warp pad. They nodded in farewell as the light took them.

White turned into herself.

"Pearl."


	23. Lapis Lazuli

Peridot?

_Hmm?_

Do you think Steven will be okay?

_Sure. He's Steven._

Yeah, I suppose.

_Lapis, what's bothering you._

Well, he's not _like_ other gems. He has that body. Can he dissipate? What would happen if his body is hurt?

_Huh. I don't know. I guess we need to make sure he doesn't get poofed then._

I suppose.

_< sigh> Lapis. What's really bothering you._

Oh, I don't know. I'm just worried about Steven.

_Okay._

Um, Peridot?

_Yes?_

I'm scared.

_What are you scared of?_

I'm scared that something might happen to Steven. I've never felt like that before. And that's scary too.

_Oh, well..._

I care about Steven, Peridot. I've liked gems before, but never cared. Not like this. Gems are gems, what's to care? You see them and then they're gone. You see other gems like them later and you remember and its the same. But there isn't any other gem like Steven. There has _never_ been another gem like Steven. What if something happens to him? I'd never see him again.

_Oh. I know. I, um, feel the same way too._

You do?

_Yes. I came here to check on the cluster and there was this Steven and the Crystal Gems and they were all just in my way. But Steven was different._

Right.

_Yeah. He even called me ... cute. I mean, I was very upset by that, of course! But, um, anyway._

Yeah. I know. He let me out of the mirror. Do you remember me telling you about that?

_Oh, only a hundred times!_

And he healed my gem. I knew Rose could heal, but I thought she was the only one. I didn't know he could. But he had to put his spit on me. It felt weird.

_Uh huh._

Peridot? I'm sorry.

_Huh? What for._

Your recorder. I was angry and I just wanted to lash out. And you were there when all that bad stuff happened and, well, I did that on purpose to hurt you.

_Yeah, I remember. It worked._

I know. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that.

_It's okay. I don't think about it. I have my tablet now!_

Peridot? Can I tell you something?

_Yeah, sure. What?_

You're my friend too. I don't want anything to happen to you. Will you be careful? I don't think another peridot would be the same.

_Oh._

Okay. I justed wanted to tell you that.

_Yeah._

_Um, Lapis?_

Yes?

_You're my friend too. Okay, good night._

Peridot? You don't need to sleep. Peridot? Peridot? ... Peri?

_< snore>_


	24. Indecision

The afternoon sun was beating down as Steven and Connie discussed what they needed to do next. They considered reaching out to Connie's parents again. Steven was content to just walk up like before but Connie put the kibosh on that idea.

"Steven, everybody - gems and humans - are watching the house. If we just walk up, they'll try to get us. And right now, I don't think either side trusts us."

Steven considered. "Yeah, we're pretty much public enemies number one. They're going to put up our pictures in post offices and stuff. But we need to do something. We have to let your parents know you're okay."

"It's not just that. We don't have any money, Steven. What are we going to do for food? Lion could help us break into grocery stores at night so we can get food to eat, but that's stealing. We need help. Your dad has a lot of money now, so maybe he can do something. I don't know, but we're not in a good situation."

Steven looked at her, thinking about the problem. Connie noticed more and more how his appearance was changing. Perhaps shifting was a better word. There were times when he was his normal goofy self, a little naive and easily flustered. Recently he's been more focused, more decisive. His form shifts subtly, a little thinner, a steely look in his eyes.

But lately, there was something more. She noticed it when he healed the cracked peridot. He was physically taller now. Not much, just a few inches, but it was clearly evident to her whenever she stood next to him. He was, well - not angry, more like determined. He was upset that the peridot was shot. She knew her friend very well - he did not like it when anyone, gem or human, was hurt. His protective instincts kicked in the instant he realized what happened. He didn't consider or deliberate - he just acted. He removed a wounded gem from danger and healed her. She couldn't for a second imagine he would have done anything different. And she had no doubt he would have done the same if that had been a human.

He was very, _very_ upset with what happened and if she knew him at all, she knew he would not tolerate it happening again. Not if he could help it. But what could he do? He was a 16 year old kid.

Steven spoke. "Well, lets find Lapis and Peridot. Maybe they have some ideas."

Lion transported the three of them to Florida. He had a knack of knowing pretty much where Steven and other gems were and it didn't take long to find them. They set down and Lapis flew over to Steven, arriving first. "Steven! What happened? I thought you were going to bring your dad and Connie's parents with you."

"We were going to, but there were problems. Dad was okay, he understood. So we went to Connie's house, but there was a gem there already. A peridot."

Peridot was just catching up to the group. She gave Lapis a dirty look. "A little help next time? Steven, you saw another peridot?"

"Yes. She was on Connie's front porch."

"Eeeeee! A peridot! Oh, which one! Which one!"

"Um, I don't know."

Peridot was crestfallen. "Oh, right. You wouldn't. But what did she look like?"

"Well, she was green like you,"

"Of _course._ "

"And yellow hair. But it wasn't the same. It was more spikey and shorter. Her uniform was the same, though."

"Then she belongs to Yellow Diamond. Why was she there?"

"We don't know. We were watching and all of a sudden the whole army showed up!"

"Oh, Steven," Connie interjected. "It wasn't the _army,_ it was the entire police force. They showed up all of a sudden and started making all kinds of noise and people were everywhere. It was very intense. My mom opened the door - probably to tell everyone to keep it down - and then it got crazy. They shot the peridot and we had to leave."

Peridot's face drained to a pale green. "Shot? They ... shot her?"

Connie's eyes went wide. "Oh, Peri, I'm ... I'm so sorry. I didn't think." She ran over and hugged Peridot. "It's okay! It's okay! She's okay, Peridot! She's okay!"

Peridot looked over at Steven. "She's okay? Really?"

"Yes. I healed her. She had a nasty crack in her gem, and it took a couple of tries, but she's okay now."

"Yeah!" Ruby chimed in, quiet up till now. "She's _just fine,_ back with her home world buddies by now, I've no doubt."

"But," Peridot sniffed, stepping away from Connie. "Why did they shoot her?"

"We don't know," Steven answered. "I think they were scared of her. Most humans don't know that much about gems. Maybe they thought she was going to hurt Dr. Maheswaran."

Connie looked down, embarrassed. "I'll be honest, Peridot, I was scared about that too. I was really scared when mom opened the door. I didn't know what would happen. Someone grabbed her and someone else grabbed the peridot and then there were shots and her gem was cracked and then Steven bubbled her and brought her to us and Lion took us to the desert and she was in bad shape but Steven healed her and she's okay now." She took a breath and sat down on the ground. Peridot stood, wringing her hands as Lapis patted her head in an awkward gesture of consolation.

Steven joined Connie. They sat quietly together for several seconds. "Connie," he began. She cut him off.

"Steven, this is bad. How are we going to find food? Where are we going to sleep? It's warm here, but it rains a _lot_ and the mosquitoes," she slapped her arm, "are going to eat us _alive!_ "

Steven didn't know what to say. Maybe if he contacted his dad or something. That's when he noticed Ruby. She was staring at something. He looked and saw an elderly man in overalls over a short sleeved shirt and wearing a straw hat. He seemed to be looking back at Ruby, like he'd seen a ghost. Ruby's heat flared then suddenly subsided.

"Seamus? ... _Seamus!_ "


	25. Seamus

"Seamus? ... _Seamus!_ "

The man stood and stared back. He was short and weather beaten. He cocked his head and took Ruby in.

"Well, don't this beat all. So you finally came back." He took in Peridot and Lapis. "Can't say I ever seen you three before, though. You're those jewel folk, aren't you?"

"Seamus? It's me! _Ruby!_ "

"Well, I've known some jewel folks in my time but can't say I recollect a 'ruby'."

"Ah! That's right. You never met me looking like this. I'm Garnet! You remember me, right?"

"Now, I don't know about that. I knew a garnet once but she didn't look much like you. Tall, handsome woman as I recall. You're kind of short, if you ask me."

Ruby's eyes flash in irritation. "I'm Garnet! See - I have a gem in my hand!"

"Yep, I can see that. Garnet had two jewels, as I recall."

Ruby materialized her gauntlets and showed them to him. "I have my gauntlets! I'm Garnet! Ahh!"

"Well, you jewel folks were always a strange bunch, but you sure don't look like the garnet I knew."

"Um, you know Ruby?" Steven asked.

"I know about jewel folks if that's what you mean. This little critter don't ring no bells, though. The jewel folks I knew were bigger." Ruby fumed.

"But how? Were you ever in Delmarva?"

"Nope. Ain't never left the swamp further than a day's drive. Never had much need. No, we had a problem a while back and that's when jewel folk showed up. There was this large critter running around back when I was a kid. 'Bout your age. Big and ugly it was. It had been here for as long as anyone could remember and it was bad news. It was a danger to mess with. You ended up getting broken up or worse."

Seamus seemed lost in a memory. "That's when I met the jewel folk. They just showed up one day and started fighting this thing. It was a real ruckus. They tore down just about every tree for a mile around. That critter really put up a fight, let me tell you."

"Yeah," Ruby jumped in. "It was a huge corrupted gem. It was green with orange stripes and spots. Long, too, as I remember - had about a bazillion legs. We came here to poof it - it was causing all kinds of damage. Rose ended up poofing it and bubbling it."

"Uh, yup. That's how I remember it. So you know that rose jewel?"

" _Yes,_ you old coot! I told you - I'm _Garnet!_ "

He looked her over, then turned and looked at the rest of the group.

"So, who are you? I don't recognize those jewel folks there," he said, gesturing to Peridot and Lapis.

Steven introduced his friends. "This is Peridot and this is Lapis."

Lapis took the opportunity to practice talking to humans.

"Hello. How are you?"

"Old, cranky and my ar-ther-itits is kicking up. What's it to you?"

Lapis looked at Connie, confused. She turned back to Seamus.

"Fine. Thank you."

Seamus chuckled. "Not too bright, this one."

"I'm a lapis lazuli. We're shiny, but we do not emit light, no."

"And you," he continued, walking over to Peridot and looking her over. "What are you supposed to be?"

"A peridot?"

"Well, don't ask me young missy - you would know better than I would!"

Peridot looked at Steven, her turn to be confused.

"Well, not much to look at." He turned his attention to Steven and Connie. "So who are you two?"

Connie spoke up. "I'm Connie Maheswaran and this is Steven Universe."

"Mars ... won? That's a weird name. And who names their kid 'universe'?"

"My dad named me that - his name is Greg Universe!"

"Uh huh. So what brings you rag tag band of ruffians to my swamp?"

"We're not ruffians. Um, what's a ruffian, anyway?"

"You are! And what's that sticking out of your shirt there?" Seamus asked, pointing to Steven's gem peeking out of the bottom of his shirt.

"Oh. That's my mom's gem. She was Rose Quartz."

"Your mom!?! Your mom was that rose jewel lady? Now you're just taking advantage of a old fool."

"No, I'm not! This really is my mom!"

"Uh huh, if you say so. Didn't answer my question though. Why are you here? I haven't seen any jewel folks since they battled that critter. There ain't another one hanging about, is there?"

Connie spoke up. "Oh, no sir. There aren't any corrupted gems around here."

Seamus looked her over. "And what's your story. You got a jewel on you somewhere too?"

"Oh, no sir. I'm just a normal human girl. These are my friends."

She pulled out her patented, big eyed girly look. "Sir, do you have any food you could share? We've been, um, traveling a lot lately and we're out of stuff to eat." Her stomach growled as if to signal its agreement.

"Don't bother with the eyes girl, I've seen it all before. No food, huh? Well, I got something you can eat back at the house. Follow me. But _that_ has to stay outside." He gesture at Lion who growled his indignation.

* * *

Connie was devouring a couple of ham and cheese on rye sandwiches and Steven was, as usual, content with a bag of Chaaaps. Seamus helped himself to a cup of coffee and sat at the table to join them.

"You still haven't answered my question. Why are you here?"

Steven and Connie looked at each other then told him every thing they knew. It took awhile and he gave them more than one skeptical look.

He seemed to think about it once they finished, then turned to Ruby.

"So, ruby is it?, what are you going to do now? I remember that garnet. I'm sorry to hear you lost your girlfriend - sapphire, right?"

"Yeah. We're going to fight back. We have to free the gems from this thrall. It was scary. I did things without knowing it wasn't my idea. The thrall told me to shatter peridot and lapis and it was all I could think of. If it hadn't been for Steven ... and Peridot fusing with me, I would still be enthralled. I sometimes feel like I can still hear the song. I hate it."

"So, you and that sapphire jewel were fused. So how does that work? Is it like sex or something?"

Steven and Connie immediately turned a bright red at that.

Ruby tried to cover. "No! I mean, gems can't have sex, right? That's not how we reproduce. It's love - we really love each other."

"Oh. So you two - I saw your reaction, don't think you can get anything past me - have you fused?" They both nodded meekly.

"Huh." He leaned in and stared at them intently for a moment then continued. "Well, how about that."

He stood and cleared the table. "Well, you folks can stay here if you like. It's just me here. Well, me and some alligators that like to visit from time to time. Real pests, if you don't mind me saying."

He looked back over his shoulder. "You two," he said addressing Connie and Steven "will need your own rooms. I don't want no back talk about that. It's separate rooms or you can sleep outside with the alligators."

Connie and Steven just nodded mutely. They had no idea how to respond.


	26. Ronaldo

James Olsen walked into his editor's office with a stack of photos. He placed one on her desk and waited. She looked up at him then picked up the photo.

"Okay. What am I looking at?"

"That is a bacteriophage. More precisely, it's an electron scanning microscope image of a bacteriophage. A bacteriophage is a virus that infects bacteria. Here." He handed her another photo.

"Um, another bacteriophage? Similar but..."

"Nope. _That's_ one of those old artifacts at the Arizona site I've been telling you about. Bears a striking resemblance, yes? Here. This one is from Pennsylvania. No one knows what these are, who made them and why they look like bacteriophages. There's some crack pot kid in Delmarva who talks about polymorphic sentient rocks and a diamond authority. Few folks give him much credence. Even so, there are a lot of sites like his that talk about alien space rocks or gems and the like. There are even alleged photographs of gems living on Earth today."

"James, please. Your point?"

"Here. This is a week old. It's from the Pennsylvania site."

Joanna Little looked at the photo in her hand. "Yeah, okay. It's one of those 'phage looking things. What about it?"

"Look closer - it's glowing. These things have been around for thousands of years and have been inert and dull looking. These things," he handed her several more photographs, "are _glowing!_ "

"Huh. You're right. So what does that mean."

"I'm glad you asked. I need a expense account so I can take a trip."

"Jeez, James, just cut to the chase. Why do you need an expense account? Where are you planning on going?"

"Beach City in Delmarva. I want to interview that crackpot kid I was telling you about."

"Why?"

"Because he's the one that sent me these photos."

* * *

James drove into Beach City and looked around as he drove to the boardwalk. Pretty dead, for a tourist town. He parked in a parking lot that was all but empty, got out and walked down to the food stands. Seagulls were about the only sign of life in the area. He stopped in front of a fry shop and checked his notes. _That's an interesting notion for a restaurant._

He walked up to the window and knocked. A young boy came to the window, evidently surprised that anyone was there.

"Yes sir! Can I help you?"

James looked in through the window then answered, "Yes. I'm looking for Ronaldo. Is he available?"

The boy looked disappointed and called into the back. "Hey, Ronaldo! There's someone here to see you." With that he returned to his chair and started playing a portable game console. James waited a few minutes until the boy's obvious older brother came out of the back. _What is going on with their hair?_ he thought as he put on his best pleased-to-meet-you smile.

"Hello, Ronaldo. I'm James Olsen from the Delmarva Gazette. You sent me those pho..."

" _Shhhh!_ " Ronaldo hissed, looking out of the window across an empty beach front. He took a couple of furtive glances around the store then called over to his brother with a loud whisper.

"Hey, Peedee! I have something I need to take care of. Can you keep an eye on things for awhile?"

Peedee answered without looking up from his game. "Yeah, sure. It's not like we're going to get any business anyway."

Ronaldo removed his apron and walked out the door to greet his visitor. Throwing overly casual glances around as he walked, they went next door to the pizzeria and sat in an isolated booth. Kiki walked over and Ronaldo went to great lengths to assure her that he was just here chat with an old friend and there wasn't anything going on. Kiki just _mm hmm_ 'd him and insisted he buy something or not do anything somewhere else. They ordered a couple of sodas.

* * *

"So you got my photos?" Ronaldo asked with the most conspiratorial voice he could muster.

"Yes. That's why I'm here. Where did you get them?"

"That doesn't matter. Friend of a friend, that sort of thing. What do you think of them?"

"Well," James considered, "they're ... interesting. But how do I know they're genuine?"

Ronaldo looked aghast at the suggestion. "Of _course_ they're genuine! These are the real deal. I took them mysel ... Look, they're real , okay? And there's more."

"Oh?"

Ronaldo lowered his voice even as he lowered his body, looking around the room with suspicious eyes. "Yes. There are more arriving. From space! There are ships in orbit above the Earth preparing to deliver even move of these devices."

"From space?"

"Yes. Here, look at this." He handed James several more photographs.

"So what am I looking at?"

"That is an artificial structure on the surface of the moon!"

James looked closer. He flipped through the different images, some using different focal lengths or filters and others blown up images highlighting some feature or another. He didn't see what Ronaldo was talking about at first, but suddenly he saw it. A large spire, clearly not natural.

"What's this red smudge?" he asked, his eyes grown large.

"There's different speculation on what that is. Some say it's an artifact of the imaging equipment or something. But _I_ think its a space craft. Here!" He handed James another photo of a larger, blurry image of ... something red.

"That's the same ship as in that other picture! There are space ships traveling between Earth and the Moon! And now, there are ships with 'phage machines in orbit around the earth!" He sat back, satisfied he'd made his point.

James looked at Ronaldo in silence for several seconds. _This kid is a crack pot, no doubt, but maybe he's on to something._ "Okay Ronaldo, let's say you're right. What now?"

Ronaldo flashed a huge smile, pleased that - for once - someone believed him then quickly lost it. Yeah. _Now_ what? He'd never really gave that part of it much thought before.


	27. Kindergarten

A saucer shaped ship set down on a large outcrop of flood basalt in an area known to humans as "Oregon". The silica rich lava was laid down several million years in the past during a period of frequent and vigorous volcanic activity. The basalt was chosen in part because of its rich silica content - the prime ingredient for most gem species, its low sodium content and ease of access. This was a very good site for a kindergarten; Yellow Diamond offered rare praise to the peridot who suggested it.

A door opened in the side of the ship and a ramp extended to the ground. A small cadre of gems exited and fanned out. They were brown and green with white hair and a large green gem located in the center of their heads. One gem with hair longer than the others surveyed the landscape, giving orders to the others.

They set about securing the site, off loading four devices, cannon shaped, and positioning them in a defensive line. Each cannon device had a compliment of two gems that stayed with the cannon full time. Several other gems walked about amongst them, conveying orders from the leader. The leader returned to the ship once she was satisfied, and sent a short message to her commanding amethyst orbiting the Earth in a craft recently arrived from the fourth planet. _All is ready._

The ship's approach and landing was witnessed by several people, and videos were quickly uploaded to the internet and sent to various news outlets. The videos immediately went viral and the news quickly became the dominant story on all news channels. The US government was notably silent on the issue, offering vague answers and warning people not to over react to what is "probably an elaborate hoax."

* * *

"Look man, I know what I saw! There was this flash of light with what looked like a smoke trail. I thought it was an aircraft that blew up or something. It was moving very quickly across the sky and it was headed near us. We packed up our gear and moved in for a closer look. That's when LaKeisha took the video. She's, like, a wizard with a smart phone. I think she has the best videos out there. She has a popular YouTube channel and so her videos were the first to go viral.

"The flying saucer - yes! A _flying freaking saucer!_ Like in the old movies. It hovered over the ground for a bit like it was waiting to cool down or something then extended some legs and landed. It was weirdly silent. The only sounds were like these steam things. Like it was venting something. After a while a door opened and these ... creatures came out.

"What? Oh, they looked like some of those old drawings the conspiracy buffs are always posting on the internet. The best? I guess keep Beach City weird? That guy is a real nut job but he seem to know his stuff. He's always going on about gems and stuff, well when he's not crying about his girl friend Jayne. They really need to work some stuff out, you know? Oh, right. So anyway, these thinks looked like some of those gems he's always talking about. Green and brown with white hair - one had really long hair - and a ... I don't know, a gem I guess. Where its eyes would be.

"They started unloading some things that looked like really futuristic phaser cannons or something. They set them up and there are always gems near them. The leader gem went back in the spaceship and hasn't come back out as far as we can tell. And that's about it. There hasn't been any other activity since."

* * *

A group of serious, intense looking men in military gear approached the site at night. They were careful to avoid been seen by the civilians in the area, a task becoming increasingly difficult as more and more were arriving daily. News crews were in place, cameras trained on the ship and various journalists talking to hand held camcorders describing the scene to their respective audiences. Hikers were all over the area. A group of Forest Service rangers were dispatched and were moving people away. National Guard soldiers would intervene when people refused to leave. It got ugly at times, but never became violent. The crowd of onlookers were finally pushed back amid protests of fascism and army brutality.

The SOF team approached the ship and established a reconnaissance protocol. They set up specially designed sensors provided by the CGT and established satcom links with equally serious, intense men in nondescript trailers scattered around the area. Sensor data streamed in. EM activity was off the scale in all frequencies. Imagery of the craft was inconclusive. Interestingly, the gem creatures were totally invisible in anything but visual light. They completely disappeared using infrared or ultraviolet cameras.

Several days passed with no change when reports came in over the radio. Extraterrestrial vehicles - from Mars from the looks of things - were inserting themselves into Earth orbit. One ship began to break orbit and entered the atmosphere. Telemetry indicated it was headed towards the Oregon site and the SOF team was to be on the look out. What for, no one knew.

The new ship approached the landing site a short time later. It was large and elongated - similar to other ships that had been seen recently, just larger. The ship set down after a few minutes. A SOF team member changed to a telephoto lens and began sending live video feeds via satellite uplink. Another ramp was lowered and a massive gem, an amethyst, exited and walked about the site. The leader from the other ship joined her and they had a discussion for a few minutes.

Apparently satisfied, the amethyst re-entered her ship and several peridots emerged to take her place. They spread out over the area, taking various measurements and soil samples. This went on for an hour when one of the peridots activated something on her floating panel. A panel in the side of the ship opened and several objects were removed. The SOF operator recognized it. It was like those things at the Arizona and Pennsylvania sites. Only these were larger. One was set into position on the ground and a drill emerged. It hummed and glowed then began to bore a hole.


	28. Troubled Times

Robert Colfax, Director of National Intelligence, walked into the oval office, General Alan Prescott following close behind. They were met by Preston Marsh, Secretary of Defense, and Samuel Fairchild, Director of Homeland Security. The President was leaning on his desk, interrupting his conversation as they walked in.

"Well?" President Carr asked. "What are those things?"

"Short answer, we don't know," General Prescott answered. "Several ships arrived in Earth orbit from Mars starting two weeks ago. We don't know what kind of technology the gems are using but they can cover that distance in days when it takes us 6 months at best."

President Carr gave him a _we already know this_ look. General Prescott continued undeterred.

"These new ships have been accumulating in orbit and they're playing hell with our satellites. GPS is degraded and several Chinese and European craft are virtually useless. The good news, such as it is, is that we have much better information now that we aren't using the Mars probe ships. The bad news is we don't know anything more than we started with.

"One of them landed three days ago in Oregon. It was followed yesterday by another, different type. The other craft we've been monitoring over the last few months have been focused on areas of large granite and basalt deposits. Evidently they've found a spot they like. These new ships seems to have off loaded several pieces of equipment. The first ship has deployed an array of what the news reports are calling laser cannons. The other ship has off loaded some kind of drill that appears to be the same as the gem artifacts at the Arizona and Pennsylvania sites."

"Samuel, what are your people saying?" he asked, turning his attention to the Director of Homeland Security Samuel Fairchild, a diminutive, bespectacled man whose intellect and determination belied his appearance.

"Frankly, I don't have much to offer. We've been watching different craft and, until three days ago, they didn't actually _do_ anything. This behavior is new. We've quarantined the area as we frankly don't know what kind of threat, if any, they represent. The incident with the gem in the Beach City incident was inconclusive in this regard. Current thinking is the gem may have been retrieving a weapon but we can't say definitively. It strikes me as a rationalization frankly.

"Even so, the gems on the ships haven't really concerned themselves with any humans they've encountered. A couple of hikers approached to within about 10 meters before National Guard troops rounded them up. The SOF team monitoring the ship reports absolutely no reaction on the part of the gems.

"The drill is extremely concerning, however. Dr. Wilcox is the leading proponent arguing that the devices at the Arizona and Pennsylvania sites were being used to terraform the Earth some 5,000 to 6,000 years ago. There are artifacts all over the planet that lend credence to that view. If he is correct, then it appears they have decided to pick up where they left off."

President Carr considered. "Has there been any thing new about the diamond ship?"

Director Colfax answered. "Not much. The ship occasionally traveled to the lunar artifact, but that hasn't been seen recently. The ship remains pretty much where it initially landed. There has been other activity, however. The other ships we've been monitoring have begun to join the diamond ship. They seem to be forming a control center of sorts. There's more. A device appears to have been installed at the diamond site. It's a platform similar to the platforms the DMV gems used to travel around the globe. We believe they're using those platforms to travel in addition to the ships."

He shifted on the couch. "There's been activity at the ocean platform site as well. Several platforms exist at that site which have long been known to be damaged. You'll recall how the subject six, er, lapis lazuli gem traveled with the human gem to the site awhile back. All indications have it that the site was being monitored by the DMV gems and there was an up tick of activity prior to the hand ship invasion. The new gems now appear to be repairing the platforms at this site. This is another troubling event."

President Carr stood by the window. "What about the other diamond ship. What's the latest on that?"

Director Colfax shifted in his seat and repositioned his glasses. "Yes. A second diamond ship set down in Gobi Desert a few days after the arrival of the Yellow Diamond ship in South America. The diamond on board the new ship is known as Blue Diamond. According to Dr. Wilcox anyway. The behavior at the blue site has been similar to the yellow site. A transport platform has been erected and ships are arriving. There are differences, however.

"For one, the ships at this site are new. The ships at the yellow site arrived ahead of the diamond ship and have been joining up after its arrival. The ships arriving at the blue site appear to have accompanied the blue diamond ship. Like an entourage perhaps. There have also been a new type of gem seen with an oddly shaped gemstone. Some are likening it to the element bismuth. These bismuth type gems have started construction on a structure of some sort. Frankly, it looks like a palace or something. We're not sure.

"There was a recent sighting of the two diamonds. This is the only known instance where they have been seen together. Yellow Diamond traveled via transporter platform to the Blue Diamond ship and they appear to have had a conversation. They emerged shortly thereafter and traveled together to another location. We're not sure where. They did not appear at any of the known transporter platforms around the globe. They returned later and Yellow Diamond returned to her ship."

Present Carr grunted to himself. There wasn't much new there except for the travel information.

"What about the human hybrid gem. Steven Universe, yes? Have you located him yet?"

"Yes sir," Preston Marsh spoke up. "He and his companions disappeared after the incident at the Maheswaran residence when they departed with the damaged peridot. They were recently spotted near Lake Okeechobee on Florida Island. We've been monitoring locations of prior gem activity," he explained, taking note of the President's expression.

"There was an incident several decades back where the DMV gems removed a particularly dangerous degenerate gem. Reports at the time indicate that a relationship formed between the garnet gem and a ..." He consulted a note pad, "Seamus Teague. The nature of the relationship is unclear, but it appears the garnet gem visited Mr. Teague at least twice in the intervening years. He is still alive and it appears that the human gem has taken up residence with him along with his companions."

President Carr mulled that over. "I see. What are your recommendations about this gem?"

"We are currently monitoring him in place. We have an extraction team available if it becomes necessary bring him in."

He looked up. "I don't recommend that at this time, however. There are several complications. For one, there is the lion he's with. It appears it can travel just about anywhere and would likely recover the human gem if we did decide to move on him. We figure we'd have to kill it to take it out of the picture. The gems accompanying him are also quite powerful. They would have to be distracted or otherwise removed from the equation, perhaps by sniping their gems. It can be done, and we've already tasked the extraction team to develop plans, but for now I'm recommending we just keep an eye on him. He appears to have settled into his new location."

President Carr nodded in agreement. "Okay. I think its time we took a little direct action. Dispatch the contact group. See if Yellow Diamond will talk to us. Thank you gentlemen. I need to confer with Secretary Stockwell now." The four men shook hands with the president and departed.

 _And if they don't want to talk? Or worse, what if they do? What would they have to say?_ Joseph Carr rubbed his temples and settled into his seat. He buzzed his personal assistant. "Nasir, let Pheobe know I'm free now." _One thing at a time._


	29. The Porch

So, Ruby. It's been awhile.

_Yes. The last time was around the time Steven was made. It was a difficult time, knowing we'd lose Rose._

I remember. You weren't yourself. You're the calm type but you were fidgety. Your sixth sense wasn't helping much, was it?

_No. There were too many possibilities, too many ways for the future to unfold. I could barely see past the next few minutes._

You still able to do that? See ahead and all?

_No. That's Sapphire. I sometimes think I can, but no. She was the one with the future vision._

You know, I had a reckonin' something was up about you back then. You showed up out of nowhere and just sat there on the porch the longest time. Right where you are now. Didn't talk much at first. Even for you. Just looked out at the 'gators and fretted over something. Seemed to me you were of two minds. Never had any idea there really were two of you.

_Yeah. I don't know why I never told you about us. I suppose keeping this secret is just what we do. Besides, Garnet isn't really the two of us together. I mean, she is, but she's her own gem. We're there, and we can draw on ourselves, but it's more like we stop being individual gems. This sense of myself as Ruby just goes away when I'm Garnet. I have to try hard to be Ruby or Sapphire when we're fused._

So how does that work? What about those other jewels? They fusions too? Or just you?

_We can all fuse, but I'm the only long term fusion. Peridot - that's the green one - used to call us a perma-fusion. Gems have funny ideas about fusion and she was a bit put off by it. It really pissed me off at the time. That was me, I suppose. Sapphire was amused by it. Garnet just kept at her and she finally came around. She's the only one who couldn't fuse before ... that time at the barn._

What was that look for? What she do, sneak up on you or somethin'?

_Yeah, something like that. It was during that thrall Steven told you about. The three of us fused but I didn't know. I thought it was Sapphire and I was so thrilled. That thrall thing makes it really hard to think. Peridot joined in the fusion but I didn't know it at the time. I'm still pissed about it because the whole thing was a lie._

Reckon so. Seems to me though you'd be in a worse pickle than you are now if they hadn't.

_Yeah. But I still want to punch her._

Sweetheart, you need to settle down some. You're going to catch that rocker on fire you keep going like that. So tell me about Rose then. I knew you weren't being straight with me back then. Something was eatin' away at you. Like maggots on a corpse. I figured if you wanted to talk, you'd talk. But you didn't. So tell me about it now. The youngins are sleeping. Those other two jewels really are fixated on Steven. They just sit there and watch him sleep. Strangest thing.

_Heh. We all used to do that at first. Sleeping is really odd for gems. We can do it - Amethyst did it all the time - but we don't need to and seeing someone just go unconscious like that is just so weird. You wonder at first if they're ever going to wake up or not. Pearl used to do that long after me and Amethyst stopped. She had different reasons, though._

_It's hard to explain, but we don't actually have bodies. Our gems are who we are - our bodies are just something we use to get around and do stuff with. But Steven's body... well, that's a human body. It really does exist and Rose's gem is part of it. She's still here with us in Steven. It's hard enough for a human to understand. It's nearly impossible for a gem. Most gems just see Steven as Rose's new form, but that's not it._

_Pearl took Rose's departure the hardest. We all did, but Pearl was devastated. Rose spent a lot of time with her, getting her to understand. I'm not sure she did at first. She accepted it, but she didn't understand it and she didn't forgive Steven for it. It wasn't his fault, but she didn't care. She needed to blame someone, so she blamed him. She continued to watch him until recently. But she was looking at Rose as much as him._

_That changed not too long ago. Rose kept secrets from Pearl. It seems she was the only one who didn't know that. I think she was in denial or something. But she found about about Lion's association with Rose and I guess it was too much. She stormed out and Steven followed. They went to one of the old gem sites where Rose and Pearl used to spend time together at. I guess she worked out her issues somewhat because her attitude towards Steven changed. Amethyst didn't notice, but I did. It was better for her. I think that was the first time she accepted Steven for himself, and not just Rose in a new form._

Huh. I s'pose. But what was eating you? You came here all hot and bothered and I knew something was on your mind. You never did 'fess up.

_Yeah. Like I said, we all took Rose's departure hard. Amethyst probably had it the easiest if I think about it. She didn't have the same kind of relationship with Rose we did. She saw Steven as Rose in a new form that was closer to her than before. She bonded with Steven pretty quickly. She missed Rose, but she quickly accepted Steven in her place._

_I was more like Pearl I suppose. Rose was the one who accepted me as Garnet. She taught me to not to allow the expectations and prejudices of others define me or hold me back. She was the one who helped Garnet become the gem she came to be. She was dear to me. The idea that she'd just ... go away ... I don't know, it was hard to accept. I never blamed Steven like Pearl did. I was angry at Rose. It wasn't right. And it wasn't fair._

_She took me aside and told me she was leaving me in charge. She said it was because I was the most stable and the most capable. My future vision helped too. Pearl is a pearl - they're servants really. Pearl is a remarkable exception to that, but she's always needed someone to light the path ahead for her. Amethyst never believed in herself. It's funny, too. Of the three of us, she's the one made to be in charge. But she wasn't ready, I suppose._

_So it fell on me to take the reins. I had to make the decisions. I had to chart the course. I had to help Pearl get past her anger and her pain. I had to help Amethyst learn to love herself. I had watch over Steven's well being. And trust me - none of us had any idea what that meant. If it wasn't for Greg... You know, we never really did right by him. It wasn't his fault Rose did what she did either._

_Still. It was a daunting responsibility, one I didn't think I could handle. I'm a ruby after all. We're not the shiniest gems in the room. Rubies are like pearls in away - we take orders, we don't give them. Sapphire was the opposite. She was brilliant and so smart. She always knew the best course to take. But sapphires aren't leaders either. We had to pretend we always knew what was best even when our future vision failed us._

_You know, it's funny but Steven brought the three of us together in a way we never were before. Me and Pearl used to travel around, looking for corrupted gems and what not. Sisters in arms and all that. Amethyst hung out at her kindergarten a lot. That always upset me, too. She just couldn't move past that, it seemed. And Rose was out in the desert with her lions. We were a looser band of gems back then._

_And then Rose was gone and Steven was there instead. A small, pink blob of flesh with a gem in his belly button. And he cried. Pearl freaked out and Amethyst wanted to use him like a toy or something. Greg had to physically step between us and Steven. I don't think he understands the danger that put him in even today. That was my first test as leader, I suppose. I could see that without Greg, Steven would die. Even we don't know what that would mean for Rose. Would she return? Or would she die too? I don't know - I never could see that. But that brought us together in a new way._

_So anyway, I knew much of what was to come and knew in my heart I didn't want to deal with soiled diapers, so I needed to get away and think. You are perhaps the only person I could talk to. You were so funny that day we poofed that gem. You even tried to help! I actually had to save your life. Twice! What were you thinking? And for some reason you just took one look at us as just accepted us I suppose. That really endeared you to me. And your feeble efforts to help me get Amethyst out of the muck. Hah! I didn't need your help of course, but you were just so cute. That's when I took a liking to you._

_That's why I came here that day. Rose was close to becoming Steven and I was scared and angry and ... oh, I don't know - lots of things. Oddly enough, Sapphire was having the harder time of it. We almost came apart several times when you were in the house. Garnet remembered you - the only human to accept gems as gems and not get all flustered by it. So we came here. You just sat there like you are now and let us be._

_That was a precious gift at the time. For once, no one was asking me what was about to happen or what were we going to do or any of that stuff. You just sat there, smoking those sticks you're so fond of, and let us work it out. I don't know if we ever said thank you. If not, then I'm saying it now. Thank you, Seamus. You have always been a good friend._

Well, took you long enough I s'pose, but it'll do. You're welcome Ruby. You too, Garnet.

By the way. You expectin' company?


	30. Desert Musings

The peridot laid on her back pondering what had just happened. The light from the creature Rose Quartz rode had long faded away and the sun was setting over the horizon. She touched her gem again. She'd lost track of how often she'd done that. Sure enough - it was as intact as the day she emerged.

She'd heard the rumors of course. Rose Quartz had "healing tears". She could "heal" cracked gems. She was in the camp that didn't believe it. Gems are formed under very precise conditions of temperature and pressure. There is a whole science to it. You have to be a certified kindergartener to make gems. You don't just slobber on some sand and "poof" - a gem pops out. It doesn't work that way.

But there was no denying it - she touched her gem once more - she'd been healed. And then there was the question of why. Seriously. Why? Why would Rose Quartz - the fearsome leader of the old rebellion, the founder of the terrifying Crystal Gems - why would she heal a peridot? A peridot so badly cracked that she was all _but_ shattered. A peridot that was part of the home world empire. She wasn't a Crystal Gem. She wasn't a rebel. Why _not_ shatter her and harvest the shards? Surely they could find a use for them.

And why leave her? She knew the Crystal Gems would dissipate their rival gems and bubble them during the war. Well, when they could that is. So many warriors went for the gem during combat. They didn't take prisoners - they created shards. Still, it was widely known that Rose Quartz herself never shattered a gem and neither did her closest gems. Well, except for that one bismuth. She'd heard rumors about her, too. Her and some weapon she'd made that could shatter any gem. Even a diamond. She was scary - a story told to newly emerged gems to mess with them. _Be careful! Whoooo! The Bismuth will get you!_

Except for Pink Diamond, that is. The only gem Rose Quartz supposedly ever shattered. The one gem class that _no one_ ever shattered, no matter the conflict. You just don't shatter a diamond. Ever. The repercussions of that act decimated the home world forces during the rebellion. That's why the remaining diamonds unleashed the Corruption Song weapon. That's why they created the cluster. And that's why they created the thrall. She shuddered at the thought of that cruel device. Better to be shattered or never even made.

She watched the night sky emerge into the darkness. She was an era 2 peridot and this was her first mission off planet. It was still so odd to see foreign constellations in the sky. She waited and did some quick mental calculations. She was in the desert where Blue Diamond was establishing her court. Yellow Diamond - her diamond - was on the other side of the planet, across a large body of water. It would take much longer to travel there. She decided to report in to the elites at Blue Diamond's court. She wrinkled her nose and stuck out her tongue. _ugh_. Elite gems were such snobs. Especially the lapis lazulies. Prima donnas, each and every one of them. _Oh, I'm so powerful. I can move water! Oh, look at me!_ Bleh.

* * *

The peridot made a few more quick calculations and established a heading to the compound. She headed out, setting a quick pace. She calculated her travel time, allowing for her extended stride because of her leg enhancers. She was glad to have them, too. Era 1 peridots don't need them - they can fly and move metal objects and what not, but era 2 peridots are far less capable. Her limb enhancers were a big deal. She couldn't even imagine what it would be like if she ever lost them. She shuddered at the idea.

Her data terminal wasn't working which was a pity. It must have been damaged at the same time as her. Too bad Rose Quartz wasn't around still - maybe she could heal that, too. No, probably a bad idea. She still didn't know what to think about her. Their next encounter may go very different. Best just to keep her distance.

She kept a close eye out for humans. She was confident they were the only organic life on the planet that had the tech to shatter gems like what happened to her. She didn't want another such encounter. Most other life forms ignored her or scattered when they saw her. She wasn't concerned about them. Humans were a different story. She went into hiding whenever she ran across them. They scared her more than she'd realized as first. It slowed her down, but better that than being shattered.

She pondered what had transpired while she walked. What was that, anyway? That was her first encounter with humans and the whole thing made no sense at all. She'd been tasked to see if the human child that Rose Quartz associated with was at that location. She was to bring her to Yellow Diamond if so. But all of a sudden there were humans all over the place. They had all those lights and were so loud. They really seemed angry too. That, and scared.

She had wanted to yell out that she could hear them but the door opened behind her before she could and a human female stepped out. It all went crazy after that. Suddenly she was being grabbed by one of the humans and knocked to the ground. That was rude. She stood up and pulled out her data terminal so she could report in. She needed some guidance on what to do next when suddenly she was being flung backwards, her gem cracked. She heard the retort of the shot only after she felt the impact of the projectile. It really hurt.

Why? Why would they do that? Did they see her as some kind of threat? She was just there to collect that one human, she wasn't bothering them. And why resort to such measures? Why not just talk to her? She could understand and communicate in all the human languages. If they'd just asked her, she would have explained she was just there for that one human and they didn't need to fear her. But they didn't ask. Why?

The memory of the event played over and over in her mind as she walked. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't make any sense of it. And then there was the healing. The child she was sent to find was there. It would make sense if _she_ was scared, sure. But the others? But she _wasn't_ scared. She was worried for the peridot. Worried! She helped Rose Quartz during the healing. The ruby was pissed as all get out, but the human was worried. Why?

* * *

It took awhile - she had to go around several human encampments and the like - but she was finally picked up by a gem ship. One of Blue Diamond's security ships spotted her and brought her to the compound. The palace was progressing nicely and there was space for Blue Diamond to hold court in a outdoor area. A pavilion had recently been erected from the looks of things. That was odd. That just seemed a bit premature.

But what really stood out were all the gems. They were all acting crazy. Like their hair was on fire and their asses were catching. The peridot chuckled at that. It was a line from a human song someone told her about once. It was funny because hair doesn't burn. Heh. She didn't understand the part about the asses, though.

But every gem she spoke to was either in a hurry to get somewhere or just besides themselves in their excitement. It was hard to find anyone to check in with. For once, she wasn't being looked down on as a lowly peridot from Yellow Diamond's court. She was barely being look at period. She finally found another peridot who told here what the big deal was. White Diamond was coming!


	31. Parley

Dr. Randall Wilcox approached the complex of alien ships, one of 20 men and women from around the globe. It was a group of international scientists, diplomats and politicians. Most were okay in his estimation although a few were clearly there because of their political connections. That's no problem as long they stay out of the way of those of us who know what they're doing. _Not that it mattered,_ he sighed to himself. _There wasn't much he could do about it regardless._

The entourage was being escorted by a group of military types. Special forces he was told. He had conflicted feelings about their presence. He felt much safer in their company but was worried they may go overboard. They weren't in uniform however so that helped though it likely didn't matter much. He figured it was so they didn't stand out or seem threatening or something. He seriously doubted the gems would make those sorts of distinctions. We really don't amount to much in their eyes and they would hardly care how we are dressed.

The diamond ship loomed large in the distance. It was nearly perfectly spherical, glowed bright yellow and was just so damn _big._ He knew diamonds were large but ... damn. There were many other ships of various sizes, configurations and colors surrounding it and forming what some theorized was a protective ring. The complex had grown since the gems first set down. They were at the outer edge, near various structures that no one could identify that were scattered about at regular intervals. They glowed a dull yellow and hummed. Some thought them statues or other works of art. Dr. Wilcox saw them as more ominous.

The leader of the party, Madam Secretary Zewedu from Ethiopia, drew herself up as she prepared to approach some gems milling about the statues. She was elegantly beautiful in his estimation. She wore a full length fine linen dress delicately trimmed in red material and festooned with precious gems. He wondered if that was wise, unsure how the gems would react to that. Her hair was drawn back into a smart bun and she carried herself with an unmistakable air of authority. He begrudgingly admitted she was well suited for this occasion.

None of the gems seem to take notice of them at first. But as they approached several gems turned their full attention to the group. Large gems with multicolored stripes, a raft of hair and a yellow diamond shaped insignia stepped forward as if to confront them. Dr. Wilcox recognized them as jasper types - warrior gems. Huge with fierce eyes, they bristled with an aura of danger. He whispered a warning to Secretary Zewedu and the leader of their protective team. _Be careful._

One jasper pushed her way through the throng of gems and approached the group. She had some sort of headgear, just like in the archives. She carried herself with a swagger and stood before the group with a staff at the ready. She stopped and seemed to be waiting for something. The members of his group were unsure how to proceed and even Secretary Zewedu turned back at him with a look of uncertainty. He just shrugged. She turned and raised a hand, her palm held outward and spoke.

"Greetings. We are here to speak with your diamond. We wish to share and learn from each other." The large jasper touched her gem for a bit then answered.

"English." Of course - she had no idea what language we used until we spoke. "You are not wanted here human. Leave now."

With that she took her staff into both hands and held it out in an obvious threat. It didn't seem like much. Just a long, thin cylinder of some kind of unknown material. Still, this was gem tech. Who knew _what_ it was. Secretary Zewedu continued, refusing to acknowledge the jasper's open hostility.

"Please. We are a peaceful delegation. We only wish to talk, to reach a mutual understanding."

The jasper smirked. Dr. Wilcox thought it disturbing. It was his last thought. A flash erupted from the end of the jasper's shaft and the entire entourage was simply gone. There was no sound, no percussion, nothing. They existed and then they didn't. The jasper looked to her companions and nodded as the gems went back to their business.

* * *

"Holy shit! Did you see that!" Petty officer Weston just nodded, glaring. "What the hell just happened!?! Where did they go?"

Weston didn't answer. He didn't know what happened any more than his team mate, but he knew there was no way in hell that shit was going unanswered. He returned his eye to his scope and took a breath - he was pissed and he knew that will fuck up a shot as much as anything. He took another breath. And another. And another. Then he pulled the trigger.

The bullet crossed the field and found its target. The jasper's gem shattered from the impact of the high powered 50 millimeter sniper round into a fine silica mist like so much sand. It simply ceased to be much like the group of humans she'd just killed. The jasper's form disappeared in a flash of light and the remaining gems turned towards the sound of the round just fired. A second round found its mark and a second jasper flashed out of existence.

A smaller gem, brown and green, moved to one of the statues and placed a hand on it. The sniper nest imploded in on itself as if flattened by an immense weight. Other jaspers spread out with peridots consulting tablets. Two more sniper nests were destroyed in short order. Satisfied, the gems returned to their duties and a peridot was dispatched to update Yellow Diamond. A group of jaspers stood by the spot where their companions had fallen. They touched their gems as tears welled their eyes.

* * *

President Carr looked at the report in his hand. It didn't make sense. How did this happen? _Why_ did this happen? One thing was clear. There would be no parley. Dr. Wilcox had warned him when this whole thing started that the gems were likely out to destroy all life on Earth. It was hard to accept, they didn't seem that bad. Those DMV gems certainly didn't threaten anyone. But any lingering doubts had been dispelled.

He turned to his Secretary of Defense. "Preston. Go to DEFCON 2."


	32. The Gift

"Company?" Ruby looked in the same direction as Seamus. A small white ship had landed and several gems were emerging.

"Seamus? Will you get the others?" Ruby stepped off the porch and took up a position on the grass before the house. She had no idea how they'd found them, but there was no way they were getting to Steven or Connie. Not if she could help it. The air shimmered around her as she summoned a fire ball in each hand. _They'll have to shatter me first._

Peridot and Lapis came out the door in a rush. Peridot stood behind Ruby and Lapis took to the air. She pulled up a column of water from the swamp and prepared to defend her friends. Steven emerged a few seconds later, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and taking in the scene before him. Lion had taken a flanking position and was roaring a warning to the approaching gems. Connie joined him on the porch, her sword in hand. Seamus came out last, a double barrel shotgun at the ready.

"I don't reckon these are friends of yours then," he said to Steven, taking in the unexpected guests. There were four gems, all pale white, almost translucent in appearance. It was hard, but Steven eventually identified them as two peridots, a lapis lazuli and a third type he'd never seen before. They stood together a short pace ahead. Steven steeled himself, determination flooding through him. He was not going to allow anyone to take Connie. He stepped forward.

He started to speak, to demand of the intruders their intentions, but Peridot beat him to it. "Steven! These are first generation gems! These are White Diamond's personal gems. They _never_ leave her court. Ever! No one ever sees them. Why are _they_ here? What do they want?" She trembled next to him. Steven looked at her then back to the gems standing serenely before him.

"I don't know."

* * *

The unknown gem type approached him. He figured she must be the leader. The gems were captivating in their beauty. The gem bowed briefly then spoke, an internal light radiating softly from her form. Her voice was as beautiful as everything else about her.

"Rose Quartz. We are honored to be in your presence. Our diamond told us that you would not recognize us. We are nonetheless surprised to see this for ourselves. I am Spinel. We would speak with you if you'll have us."

Steven stared. _Now what?_ It was like that time with Pearl. This _should_ be bad - these gems _should_ be attacking. We should be in the middle of a pitched battle by now. Shouldn't we? So why aren't we? Why are they so ... _nice?_ This doesn't make sense.

One of the peridots approached, snapping Steven out of his confusion and bringing him back to the present. He summoned his shield and snapped.

"Stay where you are, peridot. What is your intention!" His voice was forceful, assertive, determined. He would not be deceived.

The peridot stopped and looked at Steven, then turned back to Spinel. Spinel nodded and the peridot rejoined the group.

"We would like to examine your ruby, if you'll allow us. We promise no harm, to her or any in your company."

Steven turned to Ruby. "Ruby?" he asked. "What do you think?"

Ruby wasn't having it. This was the enemy. It was bad enough they let that cracked peridot go. There was no way she would submit to an examination. She looked at Steven and shook her head emphatically no.

Steven turned to the gems. "No, you may not." He didn't blame her frankly. And the whole thing was really getting under his skin. He was getting angry but he honestly didn't know why.

Spinel looked at Steven then Ruby. She nodded and spoke again.

"I see. Perhaps this will help."

She turned to the peridots and nodded. They nodded back and returned to the ship. Steven almost thought to prevent them but his curiosity got the better of him. What did they have in mind now?

A few seconds passed and the peridots reemerged. They were followed by a small, blue, misshapen gem.

"Sapphire!"

* * *

Ruby's fire died on the spot. She stared at her beloved Sapphire. "How? Why? What's going on!"

Steven shared the sentiment. Why was Sapphire here and why where these gems bringing her to them?

"Rose Quartz, we've been sent to deliver you a gift. Our diamond sends you this sapphire with her blessings. We have only one condition and we will turn her over."

Steven blinked. "Condition?"

"Yes. You must release her from the thrall as you did with your ruby. We wish to see this in action."

" _Yes! Yes!_ " Ruby ran forward, and grabbed Steven by the arm. "Steven! We must! We have to save her! Peridot!" She turned and grabbed the green gem trembling before her. "Peridot! We have to do this! You have to help us! Fuse with us Peridot! Please!"

Ruby was in tears, a nervous wreck. She was on her knees before Peridot, begging. "I'll do anything you ask Peridot! Anything! Just do this for us! _Please!_ "

Peridot looked at Steven then Ruby. She looked at Lapis who'd returned to Earth and was nodding. She looked at Sapphire and finally back to Ruby.

"Okay."

* * *

Spinel spoke again. "Before you do, we must contact our diamond who will remove the block she's placed on the sapphire's mind. However, we must examine the ruby first. It is imperative that we do so."

Ruby stepped forward and presented herself. "Here you go. Examine all you want!"

Spinel smiled then turned to one of the peridots and took her hand. "Peridot, are you sure about this? You know the risk. Are you prepared to accept it?"

"Yes. Anything for our diamond and her beloved. I am ready."

Spinel turned back to the Ruby. "Our diamond's beloved has instructed us to tell you this. You are still enthralled. Somehow you've managed to isolate it, to inure yourself against it. We wish to understand this. This peridot is the one who made this thrall. She needs to fuse with you so she can study it. When she does, she'll be exposed to it. There is a risk that it will become reactivated. If so, both you and the peridot will be ensnared. Do you understand? Do you accept?"

"Yes, yes. Let's just get on with it."

The pale white peridot stepped forward and held Ruby's hand. "Dance with me, Ruby" she said and they twirled in each others arms. A flash of light erupted and enveloped them. A new gem appeared and looked out.

"Hello, I'm Olivite! I'm so very pleased to meet you! I'd love to make your acquaintance, but there's something I must do. Toodles!"

With that, the tall, pale fusion closed her eyes and became deathly still. Several minutes passed then the form began to shift and deform. Spinel had a look of alarm about her and was about to speak when the fusion settled back in then suddenly broke apart.

"That was close," the pale peridot exclaimed. "It's as I expected. The thrall is still there but it's dormant. It'll remain that way as long as it is left alone. I had to trigger it for a second to verify some things, but I think it's okay now."

She turned to Ruby and continued. "Ruby, listen. You need to be careful with this sapphire. You are both enthralled and if you fuse again, you risk reactivating it. I made some changes to your infection to make it safer for you. It will diffuse away in time, but in the meantime it will be risky.

"I won't be able to do that for the sapphire until we are finished isolating the thrall. Once that's complete, you and she should be safe to fuse. You mustn't fuse with any other gems however for at least five hundred years. You'll need to let the thrall die away first."

She turned to Peridot. "I'm sorry, little one, but you can't help this time. It's a wonder you survived the first effort - it's likely because the thrall wasn't as established in the ruby at that time. This sapphire has gone through several recursions since and it is more deeply embedded in her. You will not be able to resist the thrall if you fuse."

She turned back to Ruby. "Ruby, you and I will have to do this. It is what my diamond's beloved would want. We can fuse with the sapphire together and then I will withdraw. You should be safe."

Ruby nodded. The peridot turned to Spinel. "With your permission." Spinel nodded.

The peridot closed her eyes and became still again. She finally spoke, her voice distant and hollow. It looked to Steven how dream talking feels like.

"My diamond, we are ready. We shall try to isolate the thrall in the sapphire. Please release her at your leisure."

With that, Sapphire suddenly lurched. She looked around in confusion then saw Ruby. She cried out and the two gems embraced in a dance they'd perfected long ago. The light around them grew and started to combine. The peridot reached in and added her light to theirs. The new fusion lasted only a short time. This peridot knew just what to do.

The fusion glowed a second time and the peridot stepped away. The light pulsated and grew then receded.

"Steven!"

Garnet swept him up in her arms. "Steven! I've missed you so!"


	33. Little Peridot's Big Day

The peridot was swept up in the excitement of the encampment. A diamond was a big deal. A visiting diamond was huge. But White Diamond? _Everybody_ wanted in on that action. She wrung her hands and shivered in anticipation.

She volunteered her services to the peridot corps and they immediately put her to work on the detail securing the landing site. They'd given her a new tablet and she was taking measurements and coordinating with the rest of her team. This new tablet took a little getting used to. The tablets peridots used in Yellow Diamond's court were functional with little embellishment. These blue tablets were elegant. She felt a twinge of envy. Well, it was hers now.

Jaspers, amethysts and beryls were all over the place, barking orders and helping the bismuths erect structures as quickly as possible. The speed at which things were being built was gem staggering. The palace went from an outer structure to fully finished in what seemed over night. Gems could be very efficient and organized when they put their stones to it, but this beggared the imagination.

Blue Diamond was personally overseeing much of the effort. She was not the talkative type it seemed, and she struck the peridot as rather unapproachable but she was in the mix with the rest of the gems and lending a hand. Beryls and bismuths are strong, powerful gems, but diamonds made them seem like rubies in comparison. It was a wonder to behold.

The other peridots in the corps told her that Blue Diamond was a pleasure to serve, but she was aloof, distant. She never mistreated the techs or workers, but rarely associated with them. She was the heart of gem society's social elites and spent most of her time with the other elite gems. It was those gems who were the artisans and the thinkers, the architects of gem culture. Yellow Diamond held the empire together. Blue Diamond provided her with something _worth_ holding together.

* * *

The essential work was done and the finishing touches were being handled when Yellow Diamond's ship arrived. She was accompanied by an armada of small, single gem attack ships. These ships were quick, nimble and had some serious firepower. They remained in constant flight about the encampment. A large transport ship accompanied the diamond ship as well and unloaded a battalion of jaspers, each platoon headed by an amethyst accompanied by a small cadre of peridots. Ruby squads fanned out as well, taking up position along side the jaspers. They served as runners but could fuse to join any conflict should the need arise. While single rubies were weak, a fusion of rubies could hold their own in a battle if it came to that.

The peridot was surprised - she'd never seen such defensive measures taken before. A second troop transport arrived and delivered a fresh battalion of gems. A large and intimidating beryl stepped out and entered the blue encampment. She conferred with her counterpart then dispersed her troops among Blue Diamond's own defense force.

Special weapons were offloaded and set about the perimeter of the central pavilion where the diamonds were. They looked almost like art, but the peridot knew better. She'd helped with their design herself - these were some of the most modern weapons gems possessed. Their appearance was partly a matter of function, but a peridot on the design team attempted to give them an aesthetic appeal. Poor by blue gem standards, but not bad considering.

She bade farewell to the blue peridot corps and rejoined the yellow encampment. Blue Diamond's court was nice, but her diamond was Yellow Diamond, and this is where she belonged, where she felt most at home.

The story of the human attack reached her almost immediately. A group of humans approached the yellow encampment and demanded to see Yellow Diamond. The jasper in charge of the detail gave them fair warning to leave, but they remained, so she dissipated them. She and another jasper were then shattered by other humans wielding projectile weapons. She touched her own gem involuntarily. The humans were fearsome indeed.

And, once again, human behavior made no sense to her. Why on _home_ planet would they try to approach a diamond like that? She marveled at the jasper's restraint. She actually gave the humans a warning - a chance to withdraw unscathed. They foolishly disregarded the offer and she did what she should have done from the start - she obliterated them.

She stepped out to join her group when she saw a commotion approaching her. Yellow Diamond was passing by, surrounded by some of the most fierce looking jaspers she'd ever seen. She stepped back to allow them passage when they stopped and Yellow Pearl pointed to her.

* * *

"She's the one I spoke of my diamond. The peridot healed by Rose Quartz."

She walked over and scrutinized the peridot. She touched the peridot's gem, lingering on it. The peridot stiffened. You don't touch another gem's gemstone without permission. It just wasn't done. But this pearl was ignoring perhaps one of the most central rules of etiquette between gems. _You don't touch another gem's gemstone without permission._ She didn't know what to do.

"The gem is intact, my diamond. I can detect no damage whatsoever," the pearl said, finally lowering her hand. The peridot relaxed. _That was awkward._ The pearl rejoined her diamond, dwarfed by her.

"Come here, peridot," Yellow Diamond commanded the peridot. She hesitated briefly then approached her diamond. She'd only ever seen her once before in her entire life and now she was about to stand in her presence. First her gem was cracked, then it was healed, then she's serving in Blue Diamond's court and now she is being summoned to stand before Yellow Diamond. She didn't dare think what else could possibly happen. She gulped and curtsied before her sovereign diamond.

Yellow Diamond resumed walking and the peridot gathered she was expected to follow. There was a human expression the peridots discussed amongst themselves when they were off duty, never able to understand its meaning. She still wasn't sure what it meant to "shit oneself", but this had to have something to do with it.

* * *

Yellow Diamond returned to where she came causing the peridot to wonder if the whole point of this trip was to collect her. Uh oh. They weren't planning to harvest her, were they? She knew rationally that if that's what they had in mind, they would have just done it. But emotionally? She harbored a secret fear that refused to leave.

They walked past Yellow Diamond's ship, confusing her even further. They kept going and their destination soon became clear. They were headed towards Blue Diamond's sanctum. He gem quivered as they approached the immense structure. The rest of the gems came to a halt, so she followed suit. Yellow Diamond passed through the expansive entryway as her entourage awaited her return.

The peridot fidgeted. This was getting stranger by the moment. Several lifetimes passed in the space of a few minutes before Yellow Diamond returned, escorted by Blue Diamond herself. Yellow Diamond gestured to the peridot as if singling her out then watched as Blue Diamond stepped forward.

Now the peridot was sure of her fate. Blue Diamond was known to shatter gems with her own hands. She had no idea why she was being executed in such a fashion, but she braced herself. She would not shame her diamond by cowering.

Blue Diamond knelt down and reached out towards her gem. She closed her eyes and swallowed. Here it comes. But no. Once again, she felt the caress of fingers on her gemstone. Once again, another gem - a diamond! - was touching her gem, feeling it. The intimacy of the pearl's touch was one thing, but she was positively enraptured by this touch. She felt small tendrils of energy, little sparks of electrical discharge, play around the edges of her gem. This was an ecstasy like nothing she'd felt before.

Blue Diamond stood and addressed Yellow Diamond. "It is as your pearl has said. The peridot's gem is intact." She paused. "I'd say it's been improved. This is an era 2 peridot, that much is obvious, but she has an era 1 gem now. I don't understand."

Blue Diamond nodded to Yellow Diamond in what could only be an expression of appreciation between gods and returned to her sanctum. Yellow Diamond turned and she and her entourage returned to her ship, the little peridot in tow.


	34. Just Shatter Me

The peridot went to join the peridot corps, relieved to finally get back to her old life. The beryl in charge of Yellow Diamond's detail had a different notion in mind, however.

"That way," she instructed, gesturing to a hallway in the large ship. "You have been reassigned as one of Yellow Diamond's personal peridots. You can join the rest of your group down there."

The peridot went down the hallway, shaking her head. _You know, there's a limit to just how much news a peridot can take in one day._ She followed the hallway until she came to a room with several other peridots inside. She entered and another peridot greeted her.

"You're going to have to change your look, that's for sure" she said after giving her the once over. "I'm going to poof you now - see that you reform to look more like us" she said, gesturing to the rest of the gems in the room. Peridot looked around, more than a little confused, then suddenly felt an electrical discharge course through her body.

The lead peridot put away the destabilizer and picked up the little green gem from the floor. "Sorry sister, but peridots are very hard to dissipate. Please hurry back so we can see your new form." With that, she placed the gem on a small pillow in the center of the room and joined the rest of the gems as they stood and watched, awaiting her return.

* * *

The peridot floated in an altered state of awareness. Poofed - just like that. And now she is supposed to reform to look like those other peridots. Humph.

Well, maybe she wouldn't. This whole day had been too much already. And now this? Maybe she'd just take some time to herself. How about that? Huh? Maybe I'm ready for a little me time!

But she knew better. Poofed gems have no sense of time or place. They just exist in isolation, aware of themselves and nothing else. Their bodies aren't real, but they are what connects them to the world. They allow gems to interact with other gems. And a poofed gem can't serve her diamond. What is a gem for if not that? Why exist at all if denied that? No, she'd reform. She had to. She had a diamond to serve. Her diamond. Yellow Diamond.

She brought up the image of the other peridots in the room. They had long flowing hair that hung down below their shoulders, not stiff like other peridots. They didn't wear goggles, either. Her gem would have to remain on her chest like before, she couldn't change that, but perhaps she'd project a delicate outfit, something feminine, something appropriate for a diamond's peridot.

She thought again, recalling the outfits of the other peridots. They seemed to have had the same notion when they formed. Some with dresses, other with skirts, all soft and flowing. Quite lovely, really. Not as fancy as a peridot in Blue Diamond's court, but not strictly utilitarian like before. No, she'd look pretty for once.

She drew her awareness into herself and felt the light at the core of her gem, her very life force, begin to grow. She pushed it out and away from herself. She put her new form fully in the front of her mind and she began to take a new shape. At first, she had a generic shape, like a puppet, but she persisted. Her light throbbed within her, aching for release. She kept her new image in her mind.

Her light grew beyond the limits of her gem. This was the most thrilling part of the reformation, almost worth it alone. She felt her consciousness expand outward to embrace the fullness of existence, one with everything, then it returned to her, coalescing, struggling to take form. She concentrated on her new form. Her light finally bent itself to her will and she took shape. She reentered the world anew. Wow that was exhilarating!

Five peridots embraced her, welcoming their new sister into their ranks. Then they talked. She had so much to share and they sat enraptured, hanging on her every word. No other peridot had been through so much! It was so hard to take in. She then showed them her data terminal, the one the blue peridot's gave her. They marveled at its beauty, its simple elegance.

She felt like herself for the first time since she'd been sent out with the rubies to collect that human child. She would have never thought she'd go through so much so quickly. But - finally! - her life was back on track. She could settle in to serve her diamond. She'd had enough adventure for any gem.

* * *

The sun rose a few hours later and White Diamond's ship arrived with it. She approached unattended, no flotilla of ships accompanying her. A fleet of yellow attack ships were dispatched and formed a protective bubble around her. The humans were dangerous and there was no way Yellow Diamond would allow her sister to be in harm's way, no matter how she protested.

White's sapphire, a first generation sapphire, assured her that there would be no trouble during White's arrival. This sapphire was unrivaled in her future vision, but Yellow wasn't going to take any chances. The fleet of attack ships had been called in once White informed her she was arriving without escort. They were sent up as soon as White appeared. Humans were not to be trusted. They'd already attempted an assault on her.

White landed and a procession of gems from both courts approached her ship. There was considerable protocol with a visit like this and it took hours before White Diamond emerged. She was greeted by the most prestigious gems of both courts. Ancient gems, wise and powerful in their own right, genuflected before her. The gems behind them pressed forward for a better view. White Diamond! Here! A collective shudder engulfed the assembly.

Slowly and deliberately, she made her way forward to the pavilion where Yellow and Blue Diamonds awaited her. The assembled gems nearest her reached out and touched her gown. Gems literally dissipated on the spot when White smiled at them. She arrived at her station and turned to face the throng of gems. She raised a hand and total silence fell across them. She raised both arms almost as if in supplication and closed her eyes. She stood before the assembly and a light emerged from her gem. It grew and reached out until it enveloped every gem present. She opened her eyes and spoke.

" _My children._ "

The assembled gems erupted in ecstasy. Gems across the landscape self dissipated, unable to process their joy. White Diamond smiled once again and turned to join her sisters.

The three massive diamonds joined hands, closed their eyes and lowered their heads. Bolts of static lightening flickered about them. Their gems glowed and their combined light enveloped them. The assembly of gems stood silent, spell bound by a sight they'd only heard fleeting rumors of. The Diamond Embrace. None dared make a sound. An eternity passed in a matter of minutes until the light gradually subsided. The diamonds released each others hands and took their seats.

* * *

The ceremony proceeded according to protocol. Gems made speeches and other gems were recognized for their contributions to the empire. On and on it went, culminating in a gem felt tribute to two fallen jaspers, shattered in the line of duty - protecting their diamond. Blue Diamond's new court was finally official.

The crowds dispersed once the gems entered the palace. The few remaining courtiers departed once the gems entered Blue Diamonds sanctum. The peridot was finally able to return to her quarters and relive the experiences of the day.

Or so she thought. She'd turned to depart when the lead peridot approached her. "You've been summoned, it seems" she said, pointing to the pale white beryl standing by the door to the sanctum. White Diamond's personal guard. The peridot swallowed, trying to come up with any excuse to not go, but she came up blank. She had no choice - her diamond had summoned her. She had to go.

She gave a terrified look of thanks to the other peridot and reluctantly approached the beryl. The beryl for her part simply turned and entered the sanctum, the peridot following dutifully behind.

She arrived in a room where the three diamonds sat. A pearl stood in attendance of each. Yellow Diamond noted her arrival and spoke.

"This is the gem that was healed by Rose Quartz. Her gem had been cracked nearly to the point of shattering and Rose Quartz healed it."

White Diamond looked at the peridot with eyes that pierced her gem. She beckoned her forward and she advanced until she was was within touching distance. Her gem fluttered, threatening to dissipate like all those others.

"Tell me your story, my child."

The peridot tried to speak, she really did, but nothing but a small squeak could be heard. White Diamond smiled and spoke.

"It's okay my child, I promise not to bite."

The peridot nodded, swallowed and somehow recovered her voice. She told White Diamond everything she'd experienced. The great gem listened intently, asking questions as she went. It was almost too much, but somehow she got through it.

White Diamond turned to Yellow Diamond. "I would have this peridot as my own, if I may." Yellow Diamond nodded in agreement and the peridot really did feel like she was about to shit herself - this has got to be what that expression is about!

White Diamond looked to her pearl as if in thought then turned back to the peridot. "I've learned that taking a gem from her diamond and bequeathing her to another can be traumatic for the gem. I have direct knowledge of this.

"I will not force this on you. I know your loyalty is to your diamond and I know its hard for you to leave her. So I ask that you join me, I do not demand it."

Blue and Yellow Diamonds were aghast. They knew that White loved all her gems, but this was unprecedented! Giving a gem the choice to decline an imperial order!?! They looked at each other then turned to the gem. What would she do?

The peridot for her part just looked up at White Diamond in bewilderment. A choice? She could choose to serve under White Diamond? What gem in their right mind would refuse! She nodded her head, her eyes wide and her legs threatening to give out.

"Very good my child. Come to me." She held out her hand for peridot to take it. She reached out in trepidation and placed her hand in her new diamond's grasp. She felt a sudden surge of energy flow through her body as White Diamond's essence joined with hers. Her body glowed and she felt her color drain. White Diamond released her hand and the glow slowly receded.

White Diamond spoke to her. "You'll never lose that residual green tint, but from now one you're marked as one of my own."

It wasn't fusion but who cared! Never, ever, in her wildest fantasies, did she even come close to imagining this. _Just shatter me now,_ she thought. _The rest of my life will be a pale imitation of this moment._

* * *

Suddenly, White Diamond's pearl collapsed. White Diamond took her in her arms and immediately began to depart. She turned to her sisters and apologized. "Sisters, forgive me, but Pearl is gravely harmed by this thrall. I must attend to her." The two diamonds reached out to their own pearls and nodded. They understood.

White Diamond immediately left for her ship. She turned to the beryl and issued an order.

"Bring me Rose Quartz. Immediately! Unharmed, do you understand? I will tolerate no failure." The beryl nodded and took the peridot with her as White Diamond rushed to her own ship.

"Peridot, get your data terminal ready. I need to send a message. Follow me."

The peridot gulped and followed the beryl to the ship that, until today, she'd never even seen. She summoned her brand new, blue peridot terminal and sent the message as dictated.


	35. Stevonnie

"Steven!"

Garnet swept him up in her arms. "Steven! I've missed you so!"

Steven grunted. Gems were a lot stronger than they looked. They held each other for several seconds then Garnet released him and embraced Connie. "It's so good to see you again!" She hugged Seamus and Lapis then stood before Peridot.

"There's someone that wishes to speak to you," she said then allowed herself to come apart. Ruby stood back as Sapphire approached Peridot and took her hands.

"Oh, my dear sweet Peri! Thank you! Thank you so much! I was so afraid for Ruby. I feared nothing could help her. But you did. You were so brave, Peri! You saved her! You have our eternal gratitude, Peri." With that, she embraced Peridot and kissed her cheek.

Peridot blushed in embarrassment before returning the embrace. Sapphire released her then looked over her shoulder with a smirk. "Ruby won't admit it, but she thanks you too." With that she returned to Ruby, gave her a knowing look, then embraced her. They glowed and Garnet stood forth.

"Okay! So, Steven, what next?"

* * *

Steven looked surprised for a second. He'd assumed the mantle of leadership, but hadn't thought about what would happen should Garnet return. He considered, then turned to Spinel.

"Spinel, I have a favor to ask of you." The gem stood quietly, anticipating his request. "It's Amethyst. I'd like you to release her from the thrall too."

Spinel considered. "This wasn't what our diamond sent us to do. I'm not sure if I should. It's dangerous. However..."

She turned to the white peridot. "Our diamond wished you to learn what you could about how to release the thrall with Steven's help. What say you? Would you be willing to release the amethyst also?"

The peridot lowered her head in thought. "It's not the same. The ruby and sapphire gems had a special relationship with each other that allowed the other peridot and me to slip past their normal defenses. When they fused with their partners, they were unaware of our presence. This allowed us to move within their consciousness unhindered and isolate the thrall. The little peridot was lucky, but the thrall was still insinuating itself into the ruby and wasn't fully established. It was different with the sapphire. It may have seemed easy to those of you watching, but there was a genuine risk. The amethyst poses a risk also, but for another reason."

She looked at Steven. "The last we heard from our diamond is that you had battled her and dissipated her. The diamond says she lost contact with the amethyst after that. Did you bubble her?" Steven nodded. The peridot continued. "That adds a complication then. She wasn't as actively enthralled as the ruby as it hadn't been as long, but even so, she has been in the bubble and it isn't clear what that means. She _should_ be in a state of stasis, so she shouldn't be any more enthralled than she was at the time you bubble her. We just can't be sure."

Steven started to speak, but Spinel interrupted him with a gesture. She knew this peridot well and it was best to leave her to think this through for herself.

"Even so ..." she paused then looked at Steven. "It is our diamond's deepest desire to remove the thrall from her beloved. I learned much from the sapphire but not enough. Perhaps I may learn more from the amethyst, but the risk is great."

She looked at Steven. "This much is clear to me. I will need your help, Rose Quartz if I am to do this. Even a gem freshly enthralled is a grave danger to any gem that fuses with her. I would normally say no without further consideration, but there may be a way."

She scrutinized Steven closer. "Fuse with me, Rose Quartz. I must understand your abilities further if I am to do this."

Steven nodded then started to approach her when the peridot had a new thought. "No. Stop." She looked at Connie then approached her. "You are the human that Rose Quartz fuses with, yes?" Connie nodded. "That is ... not possible. How?"

She turned to Steven. "I must understand that fusion as well. This is my condition then. I must fuse with - Stevonnie is it?" Steven nodded. "I must understand this ... " she seemed torn between disgust and fascination. "I must understand your fusion with this human, Rose Quartz. Do this and I will help you with the amethyst. If I can, that is."

Steven looked at Connie. This was asking a lot. More than either had ever considered. Fuse? With another gem? Is it even possible? Connie fretted and Steven was deeply torn. Here was a chance to help Amethyst, but could he really ask this of Connie? It seemed so ... intimate. A fusion with another gem was one thing, but one they'd just met? He couldn't decide.

Connie decided for him. "Steven, this is our only chance to help Amethyst. I know how you feel, but what choice do we have? She'll remain bubbled forever if we don't." Steven nodded. Reluctantly. She approached Steven and took his hand. "It's okay, Steven. We can do this." They touched foreheads but nothing happened. Steven looked down then took a breath. They touched foreheads again and Stevonnie emerged.

Stevonnie approached the peridot. "Okay, peridot, let's do this."

* * *

Stevonnie stood before the peridot and held out her hand. The peridot took it and they danced. Nothing. Stevonnie sighed. "Steven, please. We must." She took the peridot's hand once again. They glowed and a new fusion stepped out of the light and looked around. "This is ... amazing! Gem to gem fusion is one thing but this ... I can't explain it. I've never felt anything like this. Stevonnie. Is it always like this? Yes. No. It's always just been Steven and Connie. This is the same but it's different at the same time. Organic life is so different! Rose Quartz - you're not a normal gem are you? No. I'm a human too. I'm gem and human - silicon and carbon based life forms in one."

The new gem looked around at the world, literally seeing it for the first time. It shimmered with unexpected vitality. She ran her fingers through the grass and sniffed the air. She looked at Spinel then the other peridot. "This is ... I don't know. It's like nothing I could ever imagine."

The fusion separated and the peridot looked at Steven and Connie with new eyes. "Okay. I'll help you with your friend. But I warn you, it will be difficult. I have an idea I think will work. Rose Quar... Steven. Yes, Steven. I would normally warn that you are at risk, but your organic self is an unpredictable variable. You'll need to fuse with the amethyst and it would be wise if you did so as Stevonnie - the human will afford you extra protection. She is safe from the thrall and can protect you from it. I'll join as before, but I can't promise anything. At the very least I can protect us, but I can't promise you the thrall will be lifted from the amethyst."

Steven crossed his arms and lowered his countenance. "No. No way. Not happening. Leave Connie out of this. I'll help you, but I won't risk Connie. Find another way."

Connie walked over and took Steven by the hand. He looked away. She waited until he turned and faced her, his eyes cast down. "No, Steven. You must. _We_ must. Amethyst is my friend too. I want to help and if I can protect you in the process then you must let me. Let me do this for you, Steven. Please. Don't take a risk if you don't need to. You heard her. I'm safe. Let me protect you. You'd do the same for me."

Steven shook his head but still didn't look at her. "I know, Connie. I understand what you're saying. But I'm scared. And I'm ..." He couldn't finish the thought. Connie lifted his head and looked him in the eye.

"And?"

"And ... I don't want to share Stevonnie with anyone else. She's us. I'm ... jealous."

Connie laughed and hugged Steven tight. "Oh, Steven! You're just the very best! It's okay, Steven. We'll still be Stevonnie, just us. That won't ever change. But we have to help Amethyst. I want to help her too, you know. Let's do this!"

Steven smiled and blushed. It felt different, now that it was out in open. Connie understood and she accepted him. That would be enough. He walked over to Lion and stroked his friend's thick mane. The great beast nuzzled him as if to say he approved of the decision. Steven stepped into the mane to the amazement of the white gems assembled. He returned a few seconds later holding a purple gem encased in a delicate pink bubble.

He looked over at the gems then carefully placed the bubble on the ground. He walked over to Connie, touched her forehead with his own and Stevonnie came forward once again. She approached the peridot and stood before her.

"Okay. How do we do this?"

* * *

The peridot approached the other white peridot in the group. "You must help me with this sister. I don't know what will happen when we fuse. We should be okay, but it's still a big risk. You're my safety line. This must be why Sapphire insisted you come with us."

The two peridot's looked at each other then reached out and touched each others gems. A soft glow shown from each gem and spread down their arms, each reaching out to the other. They merged their lights and glowed as one. They separated, each gem glowing with a soft, pulsating light.

Peridot looked at her sister gems and stammered. "What was that! I've never even heard of it."

The white peridot walked over and smiled at her. "There is much about your gem you've yet to learn, little one. You are so much more than you realize. Perhaps someday we can teach you. But not now."

She turned to Stevonnie. "My sister and I have harmonized our gems. We share a common resonance. It's a form of fusion first generation gems used before learning how to fully fuse. She will provide a necessary anchor for me while we're fused with the amethyst. She won't be distracted like the ruby and sapphire were, so the thrall will be in full defensive mode, looking to branch out. It will attack us. The human will protect Ros... Steven. My sister will protect me. Even so, this will be difficult and may not work."

She turned to the remaining gems. "The amethyst has no idea what is happening. The last she knew, she was in combat with Stevonnie. She will be confused by the new location and the rest of you. Our diamond relaxed her control of this gem shortly after she was bubbled, so she'll have some sense of herself but she'll still be dangerous. You need to reach out to her. Garnet - she'll know you. She won't understand, but she'll listen. Get her to fuse with Stevonnie. We'll take it from there."

She looked at Stevonnie and nodded. Stevonnie walk over and stood over the bubbled gem as the rest of the gems took up positions in a circle around her. Stevonnie took another look around, then tapped the bubble, releasing the gem.

Nothing happened. The purple gem just rested on the ground. Everyone waited patiently. Suddenly, the gem began to glow. The light emerged and a shape started to take form. The light fluctuated and jerked between forms as if unsure how to coalesce. It shuddered and flickered before finally retreating and a small purple form stepped forward.

It was Amethyst, but it wasn't. She was misshapen and clearly confused. She looked around and took in the gems. Fear looked out of large eyes as she struggled to make sense of what they saw. She wasn't on the beach anymore and there were gems everywhere. Gems she knew and gems she didn't. She grabbed her head and cried out.

"Ahhh... what's happening! Garnet? Why are you here? I thought ... no, what was it? I thought you were gone. Yes. You were gone! How are you here? Where's Pearl!?! No, this is too much." She pulled her whip and started to tuck into herself.

"Amethyst!" Garnet called out. "Amethyst! It's me. Garnet! It's okay. You're going to be okay. Just listen. We can help you. I know how you feel. I understand. I was the same way. Let me help you!"

Amethyst looked at Garnet. "What are you saying? What's happening? It's hard to think. Where's Pearl!?! Where's Steven! Wait. I was fighting Steven. Why? It was something... but it wasn't Steven. No. Ahhh. Garnet, what's going on!?!"

Garnet stepped forward and held Amethyst tightly. "Listen. You have something in you and we're going to try and get it out. You have to trust us. Stevonnie's here..."

Amethyst jerked away. _That's right! I was supposed to fight Stevonnie! I have to shatter her!_ "Where is she! I'll shatter her! No, wait ... what? Why am I fighting Stevonnie! Why? I don't get it."

"You're not yourself right now. This thing has you. We want to get it out, okay? Let Stevonnie fuse with you."

"Stevonnie? Fuse? Uh, I don't know. Can we do this? Are you sure Garnet? Do you think so?"

"Yes, Amy. I'm sure. Let us do this, okay? Stevonnie's here. Dance with her. Dance so she can help us get this thing out of you."

Stevonnie stepped forward to where Amethyst could see her and waited. Amethyst stood frozen as if torn. Would she attack? Or what? The gems held their breaths as one. Amethyst looked at Stevonnie then nodded fearfully. Stevonnie took her hand and they began to dance. It was stilted and uncomfortable and for a time it looked like it wouldn't work. Stevonnie refused to release her friend's hand and pulled her closer.

"Dance with me, Amethyst. Dance and be free." With that Amethyst relaxed and a new gem began to emerge. The peridot reached forward as before and joined the fusion.

It was clear from the start that something was wrong. The fusion jerked wildly and struck out. Gems scattered back, barely avoiding being hit. The fusion growled and cried out. She ran then stopped, frozen in her path rigid as the stones in her form. Her form shifted radically from one shape to another. The unfused white peridot had a wild look to her eyes. She and the fusion began to move in sync as if they were dancing to the same song.

Spinel looked at the peridot then to Garnet. She was clearly beginning to panic. Garnet took her hand. "No, it's going to work. Give them time. Trust your peridot." Spinel paused, then relaxed. This garnet had future vision. She'd trust her.

It didn't look good however. The fusion thrashed about for several more minutes, shifting forms over and over as the linked peridot mimicked her like a puppet on invisible strings. Then she suddenly stopped and looked about.

"Garnet?" With that, the fusion fell apart. Steven and Connie fell together and panted as they caught their breaths. The peridot stumbled then staggered to her sister. They touched gems again and the light within subsided. They collapsed, each supporting the other.

Amethyst looked about in confusion.

"What just happened? Steven? Why are you here?"


	36. The Summons

"Steven? Where are we? And who are these other gems?"

Steven hugged his friend. "Amethyst! We have so much to tell you! I don't even know where to start!"

They sat and talked for nearly an hour. Amethyst remembered Seamus, giving Garnet a sly grin. "So, old man. You're still around. Good thing, from the sounds of it."

Seamus just gave her a dirty look. He was the one to give people a bad time. She was stealing his thunder.

Amethyst turned and looked at Steven and Peridot. "So, let me see if I understand this. You fused with Ruby pretending you were Sapphire." Steven nodded. "And _you_ just jumped in. Just fused with StooveyRuvy without so much as a 'by your pardon'." Peridot gulped and looked around for a rock or something to hide behind.

"Well, I knew you were gutsy but _damn!_ That's one serious stone you're packing there girl!"

Peridot blushed since she couldn't think of anything else to do. Lapis sat next to her friend, held her hand and whispered. "You really were brave, Peri." Peridot just sat frozen, totally dumbstruck.

The white gems waited as the others brought Amethyst up to date. They seemed ready to depart when a peridot suddenly went still. She looked at her data terminal then showed it to Spinel. Spinel read it without expression then turned to the group. She looked at Steven and spoke.

"There's been a development. Our diamond has issued a summons for you to come to her. I must insist you return with us."

Steven looked at the rest of the Crystal Gems. The unofficial truce they didn't even realized they'd entered into was suddenly broken. As grateful as he and the other were that Sapphire and Amethyst had been freed from the thrall, returning to White Diamond was something else altogether.

Lion said it best. He stood before Steven and unleashed his war cry towards the white gems. He'd made a promise to his gem friend and it did not include allowing him to be shattered. The four gems in Steven's company immediately stood beside the beast, making it clear they were in full agreement. Connie didn't blink an eye. She grabbed her sword and pushed Steven back. He would not be accompanying these gems.

Spinel looked at the gems assembled before her. "You cannot fight us. You cannot win. Steven must return with us unharmed. Only Steven need be that way. We've been instructed that nothing is to prevent that. We have been authorized to shatter if need be."

The Crystal Gems immediately reacted. Garnet brought forth her gauntlets and Amethyst her whips. Lapis took to the air and swirled a column of water from the swamp. The white lapis followed suit. Peridot assembled an impressive array of iron weapons as weapons.

Spinel looked on impassively. She touched her gem then waited. Suddenly, three black forms emerged from the ship and approached the group at incredible speeds.

Lapis spoke, wide eyed. "Obsidians!"

Spinel looked at her, appraising her. "Yes. Obsidians. Few second generation gems know of them. You're older than you've let on, I see." She looked at the rest of the gems.

"Obsidians are an old order of gems once prevalent in the gem empire. They are powerful warriors and totally subservient. Actually, they aren't gems strictly speaking."

She looked out as the obsidians began to circle the gems. "They are a similar species of silicon based life, but they are not the same. They're sentient in a manner of speaking but not like us. They don't understand like we do. They just do as they are told. They are fast, powerful and superb shape shifters. And deadly.

"Oh, please, don't be that way. Don't take this wrong. First generation gems are always accompanied by obsidians whenever we travel into dangerous territory. We didn't know how you'd react to our presence so we brought them along as a precaution. We never intended to use them, it's just standard practice.

"However, we have a problem. Our diamond has instructed we bring you back with us. Immediately. We don't have time to discuss or negotiate. We must return quickly and you are coming with us. We have no wish to fight you but do not be confused. We will obey our diamond and Rose Quartz - you _will_ be returning with us. We have no desire to shatter anyone, but don't deceive yourselves. We will do whatever we must."

With that, the two peridots whistled and the obsidians changed forms. They took on an appearance that reminded Steven of dogs. No, that wasn't right. Black panthers? Something. Regardless, they were clearly dangerous. He looked around, trying to formulate a way out of this situation.

Spinel looked at Steven, her eyes pleading. "Rose, listen. This isn't about you. It's about our diamond's beloved. Her pearl. There's a problem. The thrall has her and it's starting to take a toll. White Diamond has called for you to come and help. You must return with us. Don't make us force you. Don't make us harm these other gems. Think about what you're doing!"

"Lapis!" he cried out. "Come here! Lower your water. You too, Peridot - put away your weapons. All of you! I will not have bloodshed! Or whatever you gems call it!"

The gems looked at Steven. They clearly didn't want to follow his orders.

"Do it! Please! Put your weapons away! Don't provoke a killing!"

The gems complied but they weren't happy. Connie just looked at Steven then looked back at the white gems. Her sword wasn't going anywhere. Steven can just shove it.

* * *

Three men in ghillie suits were scattered about the property. They'd been monitoring the site and sending in video feeds of everything that had been happening when the word came over their radios. _Eliminate the gems._

Three sets of weapons had their safeties released and three sets of scopes found their targets. Fingers readied and breathing steadied.

Garnet suddenly cried out. "Go! There are snipers here! Run!"


	37. Escalation

Lt. Col. West hung up the phone then looked at the men and women under his command. "Take 'em out."

They each turned in their seats and donned their helmets. 20 remotely piloted aircraft departed a few minutes later from a small dirt airstrip at an undisclosed location in China. These aircraft were the most advanced and most secret aircraft in existence. They were effectively invisible at all wave lengths - including visible light - and they were armed to their teeth. They'd each been specially modified to carry small plutonium fission bombs. Smaller than what was dropped during the Global War nearly a century ago, they each still carried one hell of a punch.

The incident in South America had swept away all international intransigence. Political ideologies where put aside. There was now one thing that all governments agreed took priority - the aliens were an existential threat to humanity and likely all life on the planet. The three great militaries on the planet - American, Chinese and Congolese - combined their considerable mights with a single common objective: destroy the gems.

Surveillance aircraft had been keeping close eyes on gem activity ever since the arrival of the Mars 'phage ships as they were universally known. Satellites were largely useless anymore - EM interference from the alien ships disrupted nearly all communications. Terrestrial communications between governments relied almost exclusively on land and sea lines - long cables of copper and glass that carried voice and data around the planet. Only a handful of hardened military communications satellites were still operational and were used almost exclusively to communicate with naval forces scattered across the globe.

The word had come in that activity at the blue site had suddenly kicked into high gear. Structures were being erected at phenomenal rates of speed. It was well known that gems do not sleep and can operate 24 hours a day, but even with that the pace of construction was almost beyond comprehension. Such a frenzy of activity could not bode well.

A short time later, the diamond ship from the yellow site traveled to the blue site. Generals across the globe began to salivate - two diamonds in one location? This was too good to be true. When it was learned that a third diamond ship had arrived the next day, war plans were accelerated. This was the opportune moment to take out the entire gem command structure in a single strike. The word was given. The operation was a go.

20 aircraft closed the distance to the blue site in the Gobi desert. Safeties were released and airborne demons were awakened, ready for the kill. World leaders watched their clocks - thirty minutes until they were in range then the site would be reduced to radioactive glass.

* * *

The pale white sapphire entered Blue Diamond's sanctum and stood before her diamond. "You must not return to your ship, my diamond. The humans are en route. They've readied fearsome weapons and are coming to destroy this site."

She looked to the three diamonds assembled together. "Go to the warp pad and travel to the moon base. The humans cannot attack you there for at least a few days. You'll be safe. Disperse your fleets - save as many gems as you can."

She paused briefly then resumed, her tone subdued. She looked to the diamonds in despair. "The loses this day will be great. Save those that you can." Her eyes were flooded - she could see no path forward to escape this fate. This carnage. Many gems would cease to be today. She turned and led the way for White Diamond, a phalanx of jaspers surrounding them and making the path forward clear.

The diamonds acted immediately. Normally, no gem would dare give such direct orders to the diamonds, but this sapphire's future vision was without peer. If she saw it, then it will happen. If she felt there was no time to spare, then there wasn't. They did not question her words and they did not hesitate to follow them. War had been declared between humans and gems. So be it.

Yellow Diamond called for her beryl to meet her at the warp pad. She grabbed the first peridot she came across and put out the word. An emergency evacuation all all ships, yellow and blue, was to take immediate effect. Go now - do not dawdle. The peridot transmitted the order along with the empirical code given her. Ships across the arena started their drives and prepared to depart.

The diamonds mounted the warp pad and traveled to the moon base. Dozens upon dozens of their personal gems followed after in quick succession, as many as the pad could hold at a time. Then the pad went silent - no more gems appeared. Word followed shortly after - all three diamond ships were destroyed. Crude fission bombs had been launched and Blue Diamond's court, just recently inaugurated, had been reduced to a pile of rubble and glass.

* * *

Three men in ghillie suits readied their long rifles. A small group of gems were gathered outside a house near the great lake on Florida Island. There had been considerable activity recently which they'd transmitted back to their head quarters via microwave video uplink. SatCom radios were useless, so new radios were issued. Microwave towers relayed messages between the snipers and their command centers and word had come back. They were to take out as many gems as possible. Spare the humans if they could, but sniping gems took priority. Collateral damage was acceptable.

Garnet suddenly cried out. "Go! There are snipers here! Run!" She grabbed Steven and ran into the house. The other gems were startled by her reaction and scattered even as three shots rang out. Three bullets slammed into the side of the structure and a pale peridot dissipated. The round barely missed her gem, but the impact was enough to cause her to poof.

A pale gem spread translucent water wings and took to the sky. Black shapes fanned out at incredible speeds, descending on the snipers and locating them within seconds. Three fists of water snatched them from the ground and held them suspended in the air.

Steven ran back out even as Connie was running in. They touched their foreheads together and Stevonnie stepped forward, her eyes blazing with angry determination. She took in the sight before her and cried out.

"Put them down!" The impact of her voice was staggering. Even Spinel held her ears. "Put them down! Now!"

The white lapis flashed back with angry eyes of her own. These three ... _humans_ dissipated her friend. They nearly shattered her! Only dumb luck had saved her. They would pay.

Stevonnie was in no mood for this. She struck out and a fist of air gripped the lapis, but she would not release her hold on the three men. Spinel and the remaining white peridot struck out as black shapes joined the fray. Lapis and Peridot looked at each other, took each others hand and fused. A brilliant light erupted as one of the most powerful fusions known stepped forward. Perryite. She cried out in rage and slammed the pale lapis to the ground. Still, the humans remained in her watery prison. She would not relent.

Perryite took to the air for a fresh attack when the black shapes reached out with enlongated limbs and drew her back to Earth. Garnet, Amethyst and Lion had joined Stevonnie, forming a protective shield between her and the battle, but Stevonnie pushed them aside.

"Release them!" she cried out. "Stop this! You'll kill them!"

Spinel turned to Stevonnie. "Then return with us! Our Diamond needs you! Her pearl needs you!"

Stevonnie relented. "Yes, I'll go. Now release the men!"

Spinel turned to the lapis. "Stand down Lapis. Peridot is okay, I promise. We have what our diamond wants, so let us return. Release the humans."

The fire in the pale gem's eyes lingered, teetering between obeying her diamond and avenging her friend but at last she released the humans and collected her friend's gem. The three men gasped as they took frantic breaths. They were freed from that watery death trap, but it was clear they weren't free to go. Menacing black shapes loomed over them, ready to pounce at a moments notice.

Stevonnie called out to the men. "Are you okay?" They each answered in the affirmative. Stevonnie turned and spoke to the three gems. "I've given my word. Spinel and the other white gems did as I asked. I will go with them. Please stay here."

The two fusions looked at Stevonnie then each other then laughed at the same time. Amethyst spoke for all of them.

"Are you out of your mind? Stay here? We're going with you. Don't think you can stop us, either. Lion will bring us to you if it comes to that." The great beast growled in confirmation. "You need us, Stevonnie. So does Pearl. We _will_ be joining you."

Stevonnie knew a lost cause when she saw one. She smiled then began to glow. The light subsided revealing Steven and Connie. Perryite took that as her cue and separated into two highly embarrassed gems. Lapis and Peridot both blushed and looked anywhere but at each other. Steven laughed to himself. _Really? They're going to behave like that now? In this middle of all this madness? Gems, go figure._

Steven turned and walked to the ship hand in hand with Connie. Four gems and Lion followed close behind. Spinel called to the obsidians. The ship departed once all the gems were aboard, leaving behind three snipers and a weather beaten old man who, until today, thought he'd pretty much seen everything.


	38. Zircon

The three great gems sat together in the middle expanse of the moon base each brooding over what had happened. White Diamond reached over and placed her hand on her sister's. "Yellow, I'm pleased to hear that your pearl made it out."

Yellow Diamond nodded. Her manner was stoic but the nearly imperceptible tremble of her hand betrayed her. "Yes. Thanks to your sapphire. They worked together to coordinate the evacuation of gems via the warp pad. She and Sapphire made it out on the final run. They saved many gems."

White Diamond squeezed her sister's hand and gave her an understanding smile. A diamond's pearl is her dearest gem. Yellow didn't act it, but she was deeply attached to her pearl. It was hard for her to wait by the warp pad and watch each arrival of gems knowing that her pearl wouldn't be among them. She understood that the sapphire would return them in time but her gem trembled at the thought she might be wrong, no matter how remote the possibility. Blue stood by her, offering her a rare display of public support as Yellow quietly fretted.

Yellow wasn't the type to wear her emotions on her gem, but she felt the loss of her court to the core of her stone. The humans were far more deadly then they'd thought possible. Humans during the time of the rebellion were primitive with crude weapons. They were dangerous, but they could be managed. Nothing had prepared the gems for this level of technological advancement by such pathetic creatures in such a short time.

It was hard to understand organics. They are so different. Gems are made to conform to a template then individualized as needed for a specific purpose. That makes them well suited for their intended functions, like cogs in a machine. Each gem knew what she was, why she was made and who her diamond was. She understood her purpose and was eager to fulfill it. 

But gems are not very adaptable individually and gem culture was rigidly structured as a consequence. Amethysts are not engineers, bismuths are not philosophers. Each gem had a well defined role in gem society and normally fit it perfectly, happily so. There were the occasional misfits, but they rarely caused any trouble. Rose Quartz was that rare exception. She wasn't the first to push against the limits of gem society, but she'd had the greatest impact. Never had a rebellion lasted so long and never had gems lost a colony.

As bad as that was, however, at least gems could understand it. Organics were so different in contrast. Perhaps the biggest difference is they have such short lives compared to gems. They come and go before you even have time to take notice of them individually. It was widely held that such brief life spans could not possibly allow organics to develop technologically. How could they? By they time an organic learned anything new, it was gone. The idea that the humans had mastered chemical weapons - "guns" as they called them - was staggering by itself. That they could fashion obsidian blades and attach them to sticks was impressive enough. But atomics? How could these humans possibly have mastered even this rudimentary of a technology? It beggared the mind.

It was White Diamond's zircon that offered the key insight.

Organics, unlike gems, recreated themselves across successive generations. All living creatures on the planet were part of a singular whole. Individual creatures interacted with and against each other, but ultimately were part of a single organism, each part tied to the others in a fashion nearly unfathomable to gems. And, unlike gems, no species of organic had any particular role. Each individual strove for its own survival and to produce others like itself. And each subsequent generation adapted to the realities of its environment, it's individual circumstance.

Their rapid replication made them highly adaptable and that accounted for the raw numbers of types. There were only so many gem species because there were only so many roles needed in gem society. But organics didn't play a role. They survived, made copies of themselves then died. By serving their own interests, they advanced the interests of the greater whole.

And as hard as all of that was to comprehend, humans were something else altogether again. They had a collective memory somehow. One human might notice how some substances would glow in the dark and another human later learned how to split an atom as a result! They went from picking fleas out of their fur to having the tech to destroy diamond ships in a few short millennia. It was the speed of their technological advance that staggered the gem.

But explaining human tech wasn't why Zircon was there.

* * *

Zircon was a first generation gem that was highly revered throughout the empire. Ancient, wise and fragile, this gem was also perhaps the first that would die of old age. She contained a thorium content that was eating away at her from the inside out, slowly causing her to lose her structural integrity. She'd been through countless annealing ceremonies, but their effectiveness was coming to an end. She was turning into glass.

She sat before the diamonds, her form elegant, her bearing as regal as any of theirs. They gave her the greatest deference and listened quietly as she spoke. She was the oldest gem apart from White Diamond herself. She had earned their respect long ago.

"Organics are based on carbon while we are silicon based. Carbon and silicon are chemically similar, but behave very different. Our silicate base forms a rigid crystalline structure that can be arranged in many forms. It is how our sentience is expressed and persisted. Carbon atoms on the other hand form weaker bonds. Its oxide is gaseous whereas our is solid. It was once thought of as an inferior element, unsuitable for life. But we quickly abandoned that notion as we spread out across the stars. Organic life is everywhere. We, on the other hand, appear to be unique. Apart from the obsidians and moldavites, no other silicon life has been encountered.

"This fed our belief that we are the superior life form. You diamonds still suffer from that delusion. You still insist that carbon based life - organic life - is unworthy. Such hypocrites."

The diamonds did not respond to this insult. This gem above all others had earned the right to speak her mind. She did not fear being shattered and she did not fear the wrath ofs the diamonds. She would speak her mind when asked. They'd long ago learned to hear her out. She may be caustic when it suited her, but her wisdom was beyond dispute.

"You are the only gem made _exclusively_ of carbon," she said, pointing to White Diamond. "Even your sisters have some impurities. You alone are pure carbon, harder than pure silicon with the same crystal lattice. Yet you look down on organic life as inferior.

"And your precious pearls! They are truly organic. You may consist of carbon but pearls are carbon compounds, _organic_ compounds. They alone are _grown!_ No other gem, not even you diamonds, can say that - pearls are the only gems not made in the dirt!

"You diamonds at least understand their worth, their value. You alone respect them - not in spite of being organic but because of it. All other gems treat pearls as beneath them, just acquisitions and status symbols. They do not value their pearls."

Zircon went silent as she pondered her words. She turned a glass eye to White Diamond and continued.

"But you. You _enthralled_ your pearl! You fool! I understand your peridots not understanding, but you? You should have known from the beginning that such a thing would destroy her! How could it not! She's _organic!_ "

White Diamond sat rigid, not from rage but from fear. And shame. It was true. She should have known, but she was blinded by the ache in her gem. Her beloved pearl, so long separated, would not return. She reached out, but Pearl would not hear her, would not respond to her. She became desperate and convinced herself that her peridots - the best in all of gem society - would be able to manage the thrall, even reverse it should it come to that.

But they proved unequal to the task. Not only could they not reverse the thrall, it was consuming her. An enthralled gem becomes a mindless bit of rock over time, virtually useless. But that was a slow process and one that could be managed. But Pearl was slipping away at an alarming rate. She was at a loss and finally called out to the zircon to travel to this place to share her wisdom. Perhaps she could save Pearl.

But this seemed as hopeless as everything else they tried. Still, Zircon did offer a hope, a ray of light in the darkness. Rose Quartz.

"Listen to me! You must put aside your prejudice, your irrational disgust of organic life. Your pearl's existence depends on it. Do you not see this? Are you really that blind! Your attempt at a third generation diamond failed, she was mad. Your attempt at a third generation Rose Quartz backfired, leading to your sister being shattered rather than healed as you wanted.

"I know you are angry. I know you want her shattered. That is your right. But she alone can save your pearl. She alone can undo the damage that _you created!_ She is your pearl's _only hope!_ But your rage over the loss of your sister blinds you. You've lost a diamond. Will you lose your pearl too?"

With that, Zircon stood. She bowed. "I'm sorry to deliver such harsh truths, but if not I, then who? You are White Diamond - the most powerful, the most wise and the most compassionate of all gems. Look into your stone and listen to what it's telling you. If you cannot do that, then all is lost for you and your pearl."

She stepped in and fixed her gaze on the massive gem.

"Heed my words, White Diamond. Not only your pearl lies in the balance. You understand, yes? Choose wisely."

She turned and left. The three diamonds looked inward, lost in their own thoughts. White Diamond alone among them cried openly. _My Pearl. My Beloved! What shall I do?_


	39. Generations

Steven looked around the gem ship. It was large and comfortable inside, much larger than it appeared on the outside. It was like that ruby ship. He wondered if that was something like how Lion has that big space inside his mane.

The obsidians had taken up positions around the interior of the ship. They seemed uninterested in Steven or his companions. Spinel and her gems were busy flying the craft to its destination. A small green gem rested on a seat between the lapis and the peridot. All three pale gems glanced down at it from time to time as they awaited their friend's return. 

"Spinel? What did Peridot mean when she called you 'first generation gems'?"

Spinel sat quietly for a second then turned to answer him. "Gem history is divided into two great epochs. Generations, as they're called. White Diamond was the first gem. Her own history is shrouded in secrecy and myth. She won't speak of it. Only one other gem, the Old Zircon, may know what happened but she's not saying anything either."

Steven looked perplexed. "The Old Zircon? Who's that?"

"She's the oldest gem in the empire, one of the first that White Diamond made. Zircons are very rare,"

"Rarer than sapphires?"

"Yes, rarer than even sapphires. They are renowned for their wisdom. They don't have future vision but sometimes you'd think they did. The Old Zircon is especially revered. She is part of White Diamond's first generation of gems. All of us here are part of that generation. We are the most powerful gems. Your friends were all prepared to stand against us, but there was never a chance they could save you from us. It's good that you came along willingly. We didn't want to shatter them."

Garnet and Amethyst grunted to express their disagreement. Lapis and Peridot stared openly at their pale counterparts, only half listening. They both knew the stories, but they'd never met first generation gems before. It was all a bit overwhelming.

"You can spot a first generation gem by our color. We are all pale, often translucent. Any gem serving in White Diamond's court is marked by her. She drains her color, purifying her without stripping her of her essence. Second generation gems that have joined her court always retain a bit of color but the true first generation gems don't. We are the true elites of gem society. Even lower cast gems like peridots or rubies carry a stature no second generation gem could hope to attain."

Garnet spoke up. "And that's been bothering me. White Diamond's gems almost never leave her court. For White Diamond to send these gems to reach out to you means there's something seriously wrong with Pearl. She even returned Sapphire to you so she could be purged of the thrall. Don't let Spinel's calm demeanor fool you - that was a huge concession on White Diamond's part. It has me worried."

Garnet went quiet for a few seconds as she thought. "I don't know what is wrong with Pearl, but it appears the thrall is doing her grave harm. The peridot you fused with created the thrall. She customized it for Pearl specifically. It should have been a perfect fit, but something's wrong. They seem desperate to cure it or something but they are unable. The fact that you and Peridot were able to free Ruby must have been a huge shock to them. Their willingness to let us cure Sapphire only seems to confirm that. But there's more to it than that. I know it. And it has me worried."

Spinel remained impassive as Garnet spoke then continued her explanation.

"White Diamond and her gems branched out across their galaxy, creating colonies and making new gems. This is another deep gem mystery. Why spread across the galaxy like that? Why make new gems? Diamonds and gems are nearly immortal. They continue to live for as long as the structural integrity of their gem remains intact. Once White Diamond had her court, there was no logical reason for her to expand it beyond what was necessary to maintain it and replace lost gems.

"But that isn't what happened. She expanded her empire. Even aggressively, it could be said. She created more gems as she branched out, consuming entire planets. White Diamond only says that it is her purpose. We know nothing beyond that.

"Then one day she began a search for two planets. Not just any planets - planets rich in carbon and organic life. It took time, but she found what she was looking for and she created her two sister diamonds. Yellow and Blue Diamonds. She set each up with a colony and made the gems to serve their early courts.

"This was the start of the second generation. All diamonds made for or by Yellow and Blue Diamonds are considered second generation gems. Those two diamonds are impure, unlike White Diamond. This was by design. It's what gives them their colors and it is why they are so different in temperament. These diamonds don't mark their gems in the same way that White Diamond does. Sapphire is naturally blue in the same way that Ruby is naturally red.

"Furthermore, second generation gems are inferior to their first generation counterparts. Only those few gems made by White Diamond when she established the new courts aren't. Gems made by kindergarteners and even by Blue or Yellow Diamonds themselves are inferior for some reason. Gem quality has degraded over time. So much so that it is common to speak of era 1 and era 2 gems. Era 2 gems are inferior to era 1 gems. We don't understand why and it is subject of much debate across the empire.

"That's not the end of it though. There was a new generation, a third generation. The diamonds eventually expanded their empire to this galaxy and began to spread. White Diamond once again sought out another planet rich in carbon and organics. She found it in the end. Earth. She came here and she made another sister. This time, she was careful not to allow impurities but she still sought to improve this new diamond, so she formed her under great structural stresses. It was too much, it appears. There were ... issues with this new diamond.

"That's when White Diamond made you. You were supposed to heal Pink Diamond. Instead, you shattered her. You are only one of two third generation gems ever made and the only one remaining, Rose Quartz."

Steven felt a familiar stab of guilt when alarms at all stations began to blare. Garnet stiffened and turned to Steven, concern crossing her face.

_"Steven ..."_

Spinel read her report and turned towards the Crystal Gems. "Organics!" She spat out the word.

_"Steven, your bubble ..."_

A look of rage took hold of her expression. The white peridot looked up from her own console. "Spinel! No! You mustn't!"

_"Steven! Your bubble! Raise it now!" ___

__Spinel whistled and three black shapes began to ooze out of their resting chambers._ _

__The white peridot threw herself between Connie and the obsidians, her arms raised as if to ward them off._ _

__"Spinel! No! My Diamond!"_ _

__Steven's bubble encased him and his friends as three black shapes descended on them in a cloud of chaotic fury. The white peridot exploded into a white flame as her gem fell to the floor in shards._ _


	40. Light

Spinel stood in shocked disbelief. _Peridot! What...?_ She whistled again and the obsidians moved back. She looked at Steven's bubble then back to the green shards on the floor of the craft. _Why? Why did she do that!?!?_

The pale lapis looked at Spinel, a dark cloud of her own overtaking her visage. Spinel turned to the green gem on the central chair and reached out. She touched it and spoke. "Peridot, reform. Now. We must speak with you!"

She stepped back as the gem began to glow. A form emerged and looked about. She took in the scene before her then her eyes saw the green shards resting on the floor. She saw the obsidians. She looked back at Spinel then the lapis. She looked at Steven and his bubble. Her hand suddenly shot out faster than the eye could follow and gripped Spinel's gem.

She turned to the Spinel in a rage of her own and snarled. "Explain what happened to my sister or so help me I will present your shards to White Diamond myself!"

The lapis reached over and pressed her console. The three obsidians collapsed. Things were quickly getting out of hand and they didn't need them complicating things further.

Spinel felt the peridot's grip on her gem. It was as close to shattering the gem as it could be without actually finishing the deed. It would take nothing, just the smallest twitch, and that would be that.

"Release me, Peridot" she demanded. The grip on her gem did not lessen. She looked to the lapis but clearly there would be no help there. She pointed down to her console.

"Then read for yourself." The peridot took in the report then returned her gaze. Her grip softened but her visage didn't.

"So, what then? You lashed out at the human child?" Spinel nodded. "You fool! You damn near ruined everything!" The rage in her eyes returned. She stood for a second then released the gem. She walked over to where her sister peridot had stood moments before then knelt down.

"She tried to stop you, didn't she?" she asked as she gathered up the green shards. Spinel nodded a second time, the confusion on her face increasing. "Yes, she would have. You have no idea what you almost did, do you?"

She turned to the bubble. "Steven, you can lower your defense. You and your companions are safe. The human child is safe." She turned and returned to her station. "Sorry, Spinel. I lost myself. But you must not harm the human child."

It was Spinel's turn to be angry. One does not threaten to shatter another gem lightly. She would not forget this anytime soon.

"Now you explain yourself, Peridot. Why did she do that? Why must I spare the life of this organic? You read the report. You know what happened. Hundreds of gems, Peridot! Hundreds! Gone! Just like that! What is this organic to you? Why _should_ I spare her!?!"

"Because she is the key to saving our diamond's pearl! You cannot harm her or all is lost."

Steven looked to Garnet. "It's okay Steven." Steven lowered the bubble then stood between Connie and the white gems. "Yeah, um, Peridot. You need to explain yourself. What does Connie have to do with this?"

* * *

The periodot sighed as she cradled what was left of her sister in her hands, her eyes moist.

"When we first learned of the ruby being healed, we were wonder struck. Never had a corrupted gem, let along one in the grip of a thrall, been healed. Never. It was impossible. But it gave us hope for our diamond's beloved. You didn't know this, but we never lost the thrall's connection link with the ruby, we just couldn't use it.

"We studied the data we had from the time you were fused with her. It was inconclusive. We redoubled our efforts, even trying to reverse the hold the thrall had on the sapphire. But we couldn't. And day by day, our diamond's beloved worsened. It shouldn't have been that way - we designed the thrall for her specifically. It should have been perfect. Instead, it was spreading through her like a flame. Our diamond was becoming frantic.

"That's when we came to you, Steven. We brought you the sapphire in the hope we could learn from you. I fused with the ruby to learn what I could. It was beyond comprehension. I could see the thrall, a black shape hovering in her awareness. But it was still, dormant. I didn't understand why. I could sense the ruby. She was whole, unaffected. I moved closer and perceived bands that encircled the thrall. Those were new - we didn't put them there. I took a chance and tested something. I carefully reached out with my light and pressed lightly against the thrall. That was much riskier than I'd anticipated and I nearly caused it to unravel. It was as I suspected, the thrall was still a potent risk to the ruby. I withdrew my light then added a few barriers of my own. I'm confidant that will cause the thrall to degrade and eventually die away.

"I did the same thing when we fused with the sapphire. I applied barriers of my own then I did what the little peridot did. I allowed each of us to hear a fragmented version of the song. The sapphire struggled at first to separate herself but she was finally able with the ruby's help. It was risky due to the thrall being so deeply embedded, but the barriers and the affection between the two gems were enough to isolate it. I added a few final barriers and that was that.

"Garnet, I cannot stress enough that you must not fuse with anyone else for at least 500 years. You risk dislodging one or both of the two thralls. My biggest concern is that two thralls will still manage to awaken one or the other. The good news is the longer they're dormant the less likely it is that will happen."

She looked at Amethyst.

"Unfortunately, I didn't think that would help me with our diamond's beloved. The relationship between the ruby and the sapphire did as much as anything else to isolate the thrall. It stood between the thrall and the minds of the gems and was enough to allow the gems to fight it off. I couldn't see a way to replicate that with the pearl. There is the attachment between her and her diamond, but there is a problem. You, Steven. Or, more correctly, Rose Quartz. The pearl remains torn in her loyalties between her diamond and you.

"This is why I agreed to help you with the amethyst. It was my hope that maybe if you were to fuse with pearl, perhaps that would have the same effect. Perhaps her loyalty to you would be enough to create the space between her and the thrall to allow her free herself. But I had to test it. I needed to learn what would happen with a gem without that level of attachment to another.

"It was just as well we made the effort. The thrall in her lashed out immediately. You remember - it was aggressive. It went after both of us with a speed I wasn't prepared for. My harmonic tie to my sister allowed me to resist and your human friend provided you with a firewall, but it was clear to me from the start there was no way we could remove this thrall."

Steven looked over to her friend. Amethyst smiled back but didn't comment. The whole thing was a blur to her.

"Yes, I remember. We fused with Amethyst and I expected Smokey to show up at first but she didn't. Instead there was this sound that reached out to me. It was like it was when the bomb was first set off. But it was somehow wrong. It didn't sound right. That was Connie, I think. She didn't hear it like I did so it just bounced around like a jumble of noise. I was able to keep my sense of self and not give myself over."

The peridot nodded. "Yes. But there was more. I didn't have that to protect me. Rather, I used my resonance with my sister to counteract the thrall."

Her eyes looked down at the shards once again. "But that was all I had. The sound was overwhelming. I am familiar with the thralling song, but I'd never heard fully throated like that. It was more intense than I expected. It's a truly dreadful weapon.

"It was what happened next that made it clear that I couldn't save the amethyst. The thrall will seek to capture any gem it encounters. It tightens its grip, almost like its using the gem to stabilize itself, then lashes out. You remember how wildly we thrashed about? How the sound began to pull at us?"

Steven nodded. It was a scary moment. He feared they wouldn't be to save Amethyst.

"It was clear that our fusion couldn't last, that we'd have to come apart to protect ourselves. Then something happened. Did you notice at the time? You pulled your light into yourself then sent a piece of it out into the fusion. It seemed to be seeking something. It glowed and pulsated. I'd never sensed anything like it. It was alive and active. It moved with a purpose. It found me for a second and we joined - I don't have the words to explain it. It was wondrous and then it left. I'll be honest, I almost fell out of the fusion at that point. I felt it as it moved around the fusion, touching, feeling, seeking."

The peridot was lost her in narrative. Her eyes enraptured, her voice trembling.

"That's when I sensed what it was seeking. There was another light that flickered wildly. It was pushing back against the thrall but it couldn't resist. One by one, the thrall wrapped its tentacles around the light that struggled against it. It sank its hooks deeper each time it repeated it self. It filled me with dread."

She looked at Amethyst and touched her own gem in a gesture of respect. "You were so brave, child. It broke my stone to realize what the thrall was doing to you. But you fought against it. You would not back down. You were impressive in your resolute determination to resist what couldn't be resisted. You proved yourself a true gem. A true amethyst." Amethyst just grimaced and looked away, embarrassed. The peridot nodded then turned back to Steven.

"Your light went to hers like a shot and at first I feared the worst. But you and the other light began to circle one another. It was like a dance - like a fusion dance - and you fell into sync. Then the thrall began to lose its hold. Only a little at first, but more and more as you turned together. The hooks the thrall had set were released and the tentacles unwound. Slowly, laboriously, her light freed itself from the thrall. Then your light turned to the thrall and began to envelop it. You built a wall around it, starving it of that one's light. Then all at once, it was fully encased and the amethyst awoke."

Steven sat still. He did remember. A little, maybe. But he didn't know what was happening at the time. He didn't plan any of that, he didn't set out to send his light or whatever into the fusion. It just happened. Amethyst came over, sat next to him and put her head on his shoulder. "Um, thanks Steven."

* * *

Spinel snapped. "That's nice. What does that have to do with anything? Why did your sister stand before the obsidians like that?"

The peridot looked at Spinel then to Connie. "That's just it. I was wrong. It wasn't Steven's light that saved this amethyst - it was hers. _She_ was the one. My sister knew this - she sensed what I sensed during the fusion. She must have understood your intent and knew that the child could not be allowed to be harmed. She allowed herself to be shattered to protect this child. You must not allow any harm to come to her. She is the key, Spinel. Only she and Steven can save our diamond's beloved."

Spinel looked at Connie, making no attempt to hide her contempt. She turned back to the peridot and nodded. "It will be as you say then."


	41. Mother

The ship arrived at the moon base in subdued silence over the loss of the gem and the news of the attack. Spinel still fumed over the threat by the peridot. Grabbing someones gemstone and threating to shatter it was no small matter. Spinel had a well earned reputation among the others of her court and she was not afraid, nor was she unwilling, to respond in kind. She kept her own council as she nursed a grudge. Still, if what the peridot said was true then she did come close to destroying all hope of saving White Diamond's pearl. She'd shatter her own gem if that had been the case.

Steven and Connie sat together, wondering about what the peridot had said. A door opened in the side of the great spire and the ship silently entered. It set down and waited as an atmosphere was reestablished. Spinel checked her console then opened a hatch in the ship. She stepped out followed by her companions then Steven, Connie and the four remaining Crystal Gems. Lion made up the rear and stood by Steven protectively.

Steven called out to warn Connie about the gravity but he was a too late. She bounded around the room with large eyes. She looked back at Steven and laughed, finally getting the hang of moving around. The white gems watched her with varied expressions. The peridot and the lapis seemed amused. Spinel just looked on in annoyance.

Steven stared about in wonder. He had expected a crowd of gems but there were just a couple of large pale gems in the space. There was a large gem of a type he'd never seen before and what looked like ... a jasper, maybe? He noticed the two warp pads. Those were new. He waited as Spinel approached the two gems standing near the center of the space.

"Beryl," Spinel said, addressing the taller of the two. "We have returned with Rose Quartz as White Diamond has commanded."

The large gem looked over Steven and the rest of his friends. Her gaze settled on Connie and she scowled. "Why is that here?" she demanded, her voice booming through the space.

"She was in attendance with Rose Quartz and we brought her with us in order to expedite our return. We seek an audience with our diamond." Spinel look over at the white peridot, considered for a second then continued. "We must bring her this human as well. She must come with us."

The beryl seemed unimpressed. "Wait here." She walked to the edge of the room and tapped the staff she was carrying on the floor. A set of floating steps rose upwards into the middle chamber. The beryl walked up, entering the next level of the structure.

"Steven," Connie whispered. "What's going on?"

Steven shrugged. "I guess we're being brought to White Diamond."

"Aren't you scared?"

"I suppose I should be, but I'm not. Not anymore, anyway. This whole thing has been crazy from the start. I figure we need to talk to White Diamond sooner or later, so we may as well do it now. Besides, I'm worried about Pearl. I want to help her if I can."

Connie wrung her hands then took one of Steven's. "Yes. Me too. Whatever is happening to her sounds really bad. What do you think that peridot meant earlier? I mean, about me being key to this?"

"I don't know, Connie. I really don't."

* * *

They stood for several seconds. Suddenly Connie's stomach began to growl. She looked over at Steven, embarrassed. "I guess I'm hungry. It's been a while since I last ate."

Steven brightened. "Oh! I have something for that." He reached into Lion's mane and started to feel around.

"It was Seamus's idea. I told him about bubbles and stuff ... hang on." With that he took a breath and stuck his head into the mane then pulled out with a pink bubble.

"I told him things pretty much don't get any older in the bubbles so he made us some sandwiches!" He gave the bubble to Connie and popped it. She opened a brown paper bag and withdrew a turkey and swiss on rye and a couple of bags of Chaaaaps. Steven went back in and pulled out a couple of bottles of water.

Steven smiled as Connied devoured the sandwich. As always, he was content with junk food. The were just finishing up when the large gem - _a beryl?_ \- returned down the stairs.

"You may proceed. But only Peridot," she gestured to the pale gem, "and Rose Quartz may enter. The human child must remain here."

"No." The gems all looked at the peridot in shock. "No. The human child must accompany us. Tell our diamond that I will shatter my own gem myself if she does not relent. We have no hope of healing her beloved without the human."

The beryl stood dumbstruck. Never in her existence had any gem dared utter such words. The peridot looked back, resolute. The beryl finally nodded and went up the steps a second time. She returned a few minutes later.

"Our diamond will grant your request. Be careful, Peridot. You may still end up shattering your own gem before the day is out. Now go."

* * *

The peridot nodded then walked to the stairs. Steven and Connie started after her and Lion stepped forward to join them. The beryl pointed her staff at him and bellowed "This ... _creature_ remains behind!"

Connie looked at the gem, at Lion and finally Steven. "Then I'm not going. Lion comes with us or no one goes."

The beryl was unswayed. "The creature remains. Only Peridot, Rose Quartz and the _human_ may enter." The last was delivered with a snarl. Connie gulped. She was bluffing, of course. She would not refuse to help Pearl for this reason.

Steven stepped forward and reached out to his friend. "Listen, Lion. I need you to wait here. This is White Diamond we're talking about. There nothing any of us can do against her. And if I can help Pearl, then I have to do this. Wait for me. Please? Watch over the others." He gestured to the gems remaining behind also.

Lion squinted as if thinking. His body language indicated he wasn't willing to go along with this request. Steven leaned in and whispered.

"You can track me, yes? Then keep an eye on me from out here. If there's a problem, you can warp in a get us. Okay? In the meantime, I need you to take care of my friends." Lion huffed his displeasure but walked over to Garnet and the rest and sat down, glaring at the beryl and the pale jasper.

With that, the peridot started up the stairs, Steven and Connie following closely behind. They entered the second level where a white orb floated in a partial column of light. The peridot glanced its way, clearly wishing to avert her eyes but unable to do so. She stopped and Steven and Connie followed suit.

A large figure was seated before them, her light filling the room. The peridot curtsied deeply. Steven didn't know how she'd managed to drop that low. "My diamond. We have returned with Rose Quartz as you instructed."

She had kept her eyes down in deference as she spoke. She looked up and suddenly gasped. She staggered for a second then lost her balance and fell to the floor.

" _M - Mother!_ My Diamond! Oh!" With that she knelt and dropped her head to floor.

The large figured nodded and turned to Steven and Connie. This was the first time they'd ever been in the presence of a diamond but clearly this was unusual for even her own court. They looked and the realization of what they were seeing struck them at the same time. The large gem in White Diamond's forehead had another gem embedded in it. An oval, iridescent gem. _Pearl._

The massive figure spoke. "Hello Rose. We finally meet. I am the First Fusion, the Mother Gem."

She leaned forward and looked Steven in the eye. "We have much to talk about Rose."


	42. Purpose

The massive figure gestured and chairs emerged from the floor. They were perfectly sized for each of them. It reminded Steven of how his mom's room would create whatever he requested on demand. He and Connie took a seat but the third seat remained empty.

Mother settled back into her own seat and it was then that Steven noticed the two other gems seated next to her. A odd looking gem with a glassy eye and another peridot, only this one still had a trace of her natural green color remaining.

Mother looked over at the pale Peridot and smiled patiently. "Please, child. Rise. You needn't behave that way. Sit with us." The peridot raised her eyes and reluctanly stood then took a seat next to Steven. She was clearly overwhelmed by the presence of this fusion.

Suddenly Mother's expression changed as she looked at Steven and Connie. "Steven! Connie! Oh, I was so afraid I'd never see you again! I've been so worried about you. You took a real risk helping Ruby and Sapphire like that. My diamond tells me you healed Amethyst too. Is that true? Did you really heal her?"

"Pearl?" Steven stammered. "Uh, is that you?"

Mother smiled and her light brightened, nearly blinding her guests. "Yes, Steven. It's me. It seems like it's been forever since we last spoke."

"But didn't we talk at the house that time? When you gave us those drinks? Don't you remember?"

"Yes but that was different. It's hard to explain. I was connected to my beloved by the thrall and I wasn't myself then. I was there, but I wasn't myself."

"Okay. But isn't this the same?"

"No. I've rejoined my beloved. We are the First Fusion. We are the primordial gem. This is our natural state. I'm whole again." Her eyes clouded. "For now. The thrall is still with me. I won't maintain my awareness much longer. Our fusion is my beloved's last effort to help me preserve my identity. I will disappear soon, I'm afraid."

Steven and Connie looked at each other, worry etched on their faces. Connie asked the question they were both thinking. "How much longer do you have, Pearl? Before you ... disappear."

Mother smiled. "Oh, a long time by your standards. A year, perhaps? This fusion has slowed the progression of the contaminant in me. But for us? That's the blink of an eye."

* * *

Mother's expression changed and it was no longer Pearl that spoke.

"I'm pleased to meet you Rose. I knew you as White after you were made and of course as Pearl, but we've never spoken together. Even so, I have a unique understanding of you. I made you, child. You stand now before me and I'm of two minds as to what to do next.

"You shattered my sister, Rose. Pink. You don't recall that but we do. It caused us more grief and pain than we thought we'd ever be able to endure. We weren't prepared for it. We do lose gems and there is grief, but it isn't the same. If a peridot is lost, there are always others and they ameliorate the pain. You remember your lost comrade in them."

She looked to the pale gem seated before her. "We feel the pain of the loss of your sister child, but we're comforted by the company of her siblings. You feel the lost of your sister most acutely as she was a expression of your own identity, but even then there are always the others to help you. This is why I invited your sister here," she gestured to the pale green gem next to her. "I know of your loss my dear Peridot and I knew she would be a comfort for you."

The peridot to Steven's left sniffled for a second then smiled. "Yes, my diamond. You are correct. I'm grateful for the company of my sister. Thank you." The pale green peridot next to Mother dropped her head to hide a tear. She too felt the loss of her sister. It did not matter that they had never met. Gems of a type always grieve over the loss of one of their sister gems no matter the circumstance. She was also comforted by the other peridot's presence.

Mother smiled and spoke to Steven again. "You don't feel the loss in the same way as a result. It's hard for gems to think of others as unique individuals. But diamonds _are_ unique. I was the only one for a very long time. I made my sisters and there was the three of us. Then there was Pink. Once she was shattered, she was truly gone in a way no other gem can be. The shock of that staggered all of us. You have no idea the anger that caused. Part of me, White, would shatter you now. It would be easy, you know. And quick. But Pearl has a deep affection for you. We find ourselves torn. But it's more than that."

She turned to the ancient gem at her feet. "Zircon? I would hear your understanding of this."

* * *

The ancient gem nodded and looked to Steven and Connie.

"So, you're the hybrid. Steven, yes? And this human is Connie." They each nodded as their names were spoken. "You were the first third generation gem to be made after Pink Diamond. You were made for a purpose, one you may yet fulfill. But there's much you need to remember before that can happen.

"Our Mother - the First Fusion as she is sometimes known - was the first gem created. The full story of that is hidden, even from me. Mother does not speak of it. All she will say is that she was made for a purpose, like all gems. Her purpose is to create other gems. She is the origin of us all.

"She spread out across her home galaxy, locating suitable planets and creating her court. White Diamond's court is the only one not to have kindergarteners. She made all of us herself, as she made her sisters and as she made you.

"She was lonely, however. At least that's my opinion. This is another of her mysteries she keeps to herself. She alone knows why she created her sisters but I'm convinced it was for companionship." The massive gem sat impassive, neither acknowledging nor refuting the claim. "She sought out two planets awash in silicon and organic life. Few know this, but for all of the disgust that gemkind have for organics, we are totally dependent on them for our own existence.

"She set down and imbued the ground with her essence. As Mother, not as White Diamond. Pearl is as essential to our existence as White Diamond herself. She then added impurities, as some would say, to the diamonds as they incubated. Two new diamonds emerged: Yellow Diamond and Blue Diamond. They have their own personalities and they assumed the duties of White Diamond. Yellow Diamond handles the logistics of our empire and Blue Diamond manages the culture. The three sisters are devoted to one another though they do knock heads from time to time." Mother smiled as she heard that.

"But there was a problem that emerged right from the start. New gems are inferior to their earlier siblings. The effect was slight for the first generation gems but noticeable nonetheless. By the time second generation gems were made, the quality of new gems was significantly degraded. This is why, as an example, second generation gems in White Diamond's court retain a trace of their original color," she gestured to the gem next to her. "Fully draining their color would harm them.

"This is the reason White Diamond created her sisters as she did. The impurities, so called, were added in an effort to reverse the trend. It failed. Later gems remained inferior to their earlier siblings. By the time of your rebellion the situation was becoming dire. The reason we were going to destroy this planet was because we have no choice but to use every atom of silicon and carbon in it to make new gems. Only wholesale exploitation of planetary resources allows for new gems that are not useless. The beta kindergarten was an example of rushed gem formation - it would have been fine when gems were first being made, but by then it produced grossly substandard gems. The pressures of war just made it worse. The jasper you and your amethyst friend defeated was a rare success for that site.

"This planet was chosen for another reason as well. White Diamond sought once again to make a new sister and once again strove to reverse the problem of degrading gems. Only this time, she didn't add anything to the carbon lattice as it formed, but rather placed it under structural stress. She hoped the changes to her sister would improve her.

"She failed. Pink Diamond was insane. She lashed out at her sisters and her court. She was destructive for no reason. Only Pearl seemed to calm her, so White Diamond made a great sacrifice. She bequeathed her beloved Pearl - literally her other half - to Pink Diamond while they sought a solution for her ... condition."

The great figure had sat quietly as Zircon spoke. She raised her hand and Zircon nodded. "That was why we made you, Rose Quartz. You were made for one purpose - to heal our sister. Instead, you destroyed her."


	43. Origins

Mother sat quietly for a few moments as if considering something. She looked down at Zircon then turned and spoke to Steven.

"You were my last hope for Pink and now you are my only hope for Pearl. I will cease to exist and only White will remain. I don't mourn for myself but White will despair over the loss of her beloved. I would spare her that if I can.

"So here we are. I need your help, Rose. And, if my dear Peridot is right, I need the help of your human friend as well. But there's much more than that. I speak not only for myself. I speak not only for White or Pearl. I speak for all gemkind. We all need you. I see that now."

She paused again, then seemed to come to a decision. "So many have asked of my origin, my beginning. I've never answered. Perhaps now is the time."

The small pale green peridot's eyes widened. She started out trying to knock on some human's door and now she's about to learn White Diamond's most closely held secret. The Zircon gave her a wry smile. She patted her shoulder then leaned in and whispered. _Shhh... be very quiet and hopefully Mother won't notice you. I'd just hate it if you were told to leave now!_ She sat back in her seat with a smirk.

Mother looked down, frowning. "You were saying Zircon?" The pale gem looked up with a innocent expression and shrugged. The massive gem seemed to consider for a second then turned to the small pale gem trembling at her feet. "Dear, perhaps you should go now."

"Y-yes, my diamond. As you wish." The small gem died the death of a thousand shards as she stood to leave.

Mother suddenly laughed, flooding the room with her glee. "Oh, sweet child - you don't have to leave! I'm just messing with you! Please sit - you're free to remain." Zircon and the other peridot snickered. White Diamond was well known among her court for playing mind games with new gems. The small peridot smiled weakly and sat back down.

* * *

"My origins are shrouded from even me but this much I know. There was an ancient race in our home galaxy that bore a striking resemblance to humans. Their tech was impressive, even by our standards, and they were masters of artificial intelligence. It was they that produced the majority of gem types. They focused on silicon as their starting material and produced quartzes such as yourself, peridots and many others. They eventually branched out into using other materials and they created the first rubies. It was a heady time for them.

"But they weren't alone. There was another race, a predatory and warlike life form, that mounted a surprise attack on their home world. My creator was a brilliant scientist who was working on a radically new form of AI based on carbon. The first diamonds were abysmal failures but they kept at it. She'd had the insight to combine her diamond lattice with the new model of pearl she'd developed. The merger of the two systems held much promise. She was ready to imprint a new AI template into the gem when her laboratory came under attack.

"They stopped all of their work and rushed to the defense of their planet. They fought a ferocious battle, but they were relentlessly pushed back. Mile by mile, inch by inch, they were forced to retreat until my creator found herself alone in her laboratory with nothing left but an uninitialized gem. She feared the worst then made her decision. She would not die. She would not allow that. Her species had to survive so she entered the imprinting machine and set the timer.

"I am my creator, Rose. I suspect you understand what that means better than anyone." Steven nodded. He knew all to well what that was like.

"I eventually found my way to a generation ship - a craft designed to carry the survivors of my creator's race to other worlds should the worse come to pass. But they never made it and it was left to me to travel out into the stars, to chart a new destiny for my kind. Or rather, what was left of it. Me.

"So I traveled the galaxy, alone. I created new AI companions, but they were inadequate. I wanted true sentience, not a poor imitation. So I made a decision. My creator's, no - _my_ greatest insight was the need for the organic component. The infusion of organic life into mineral based life. Pearl made me possible and I believed she'd make others possible as well.

"I put down on a small, mineral rich planet with a reasonable degree of organics. It was there that I made the first gems. I started with the quartzes as these are the easiest to form. I created the templates as before then I added a bit of myself, an extract exuded by my pearl self, and initialized the new lattices. It worked. Zircon here was one of the earliest gems I made. She wasn't the first, but those who preceded her were eventually shattered. The old enemy of my kind finally learned of my existence and set out to destroy me. My loyal gems were sacrificed in that ancient war.

"I spread across the galaxy, creating as many new gems as I could, not only to preserve my kind but to build an army to defeat that relentless foe. I developed new and more powerful gems - beryls and jaspers, amethysts and rubies. I created the first sapphire, a loyal gem that is with me to this day. She is one of my most valued advisors.

"The rest is very much as Zircon described it. We spread out and sought new worlds. She kept her own council in the retelling, but we remain at war with that ancient race. That war has depleted our forces and I thought for a very long time they were at the heart of why subsequent gems were degraded versions of their ancestors. I felt we simply couldn't make new gems properly with that constant threat hanging over us.

"This was why I created my sisters. I had hoped that new formulations may improve on my design, but I was wrong. Like me, my sisters also started out with their pearls integrated into their true forms. I showed them how to separate into their diamond and pearls. I had discovered that the existence of our independent selves makes it easier to manage our courts. It's a practical consideration.

"Unfortunately, my sisters have never been able to fuse with their pearls since. I was shocked when I first learned of this. I never let them see it, but I cried at their loss - to never know the joy of that union. And it was then that I realized I was wrong - it wasn't war that was destroying us. We are losing our integrity with each subsequent generation.

"I struggled for so long seeking a solution. We're dying out. Soon, our kind will not longer be able to be made. As it is we resort to brute force to create the gems we can - we strip planets of every thing they have to create a paltry number of gems in the process. Gems with degraded abilities. It has been a deep ache for me.

"Pink was my desperate attempt to find a solution. I kept her carbon pure like me, but I had a problem. I could no longer produce a pearl that could merge with her lattice. I struggled for a solution and decided to try a new course - I'd change the conditions of her manufacture using a technique I'd considered before I became a gem but had rejected as unstable. Still, I was at my wits end so I tried it.

"I came here to the planet and put my new sister in the ground then I brought all the native organics I could that would reinforce the new lattice then placed her under intense stress. I consulted with my sisters. Yellow believed it would work, Blue had her doubts - she feared what would happen with the lack of a pearl. With nothing else left to try, I took a chance. I place her in the ground and waited.

"I knew from the moment she emerged, I'd failed. My poor sister was insane."


	44. Grief

Yellow Diamond's steps echoed through her empty chamber as she paced. She maintained a certain distance from most of her court but even her core entourage was noticeably absent. Only her pearl remained near at hand, but even she avoided her diamond's direct company for the time being.

_Atomics. They used atomics. How could they possibly have that level of technological sophistication? What else can they do? Are they coming here next? Do we really want to fight two wars?_

She flipped open her communication channel to White Diamond and looked at it, considering. She closed the connection knowing that now was not a good time. White was talking to that renegade rose quartz and, if the reports are to be believed, that abominable human. 

_Rose Quartz! This is her fault. She was made to heal Pink, not shatter her! Yes, yes - Pink was out of control, but we could have managed her. Shattering is such a final solution - even Blue restrains herself. That little bitch went too far. And look what she has wrought. I'll bet she taught those pathetic organics the secrets of atomics._

Yellow brushed back a rare tear from her eye. _How many did we lose again? 400 gems - gone. Just melted glass. Blue took the brunt of the losses - that was her court after all. But everyone aboard my ship was lost. Thank the stars White had that galaxy warp pad installed at her location._

"Pearl! I would speak with you! Bring Zircon and Sapphire. We need to make plans."

* * *

"My diamond?" The little blue pearl reached out and took the hand of her beloved. She regretted once again their inability to fuse. No one, not even white Diamond, realized they would never be able to join as the Blue Mother again. The sense of loss was overwhelming at times.

"Yes, my dearest Pearl. I'm still with you. I grieve at the loss of so many beautiful children - our children - at the hands of the humans. How could they possibly have learned atomics in such a short time?"

The massive blue gem sat quietly once again, her visage shrouded by her veil. "How are your sisters doing? We lost many pearls as well."

Blue Pearl wore a sad smile. "I appreciate your concern my diamond. I've spoken with them and we still share your grief. As always, though, we have each other to help us through this difficult time. I passed your words to them. We were all uplifted by you kindness and love. They send their gratitude and asked I pass along their sorrow for your pain." 

Blue smiled gratefully behind her veil. She took her pearl's hand and a soft glow enveloped them. It was a pale substitute for fusion, but they could at least connect on this level. They shared their grief in silence.

"Have you spoken with Yellow Pearl? I have not reached out to Yellow - she needs time to process her grief in her own way. She will contact me when she is ready to share."

"Yes, my diamond. My sister speaks with me often. Her diamond's stone is as shattered as your own by this. She seeks to remove this colony from the galaxy and will likely do so by her own hand. Her grief is matched only by her anger. Her resolve is fearsome."

"Yes. I would expect nothing less. Pass this along to your sister - 'I send my love to you sister, and I await the opportunity to be with you again. Please temper your anger - we mustn't act in haste. Come to me when you're ready that we may embrace.' Have your sister pass that along for me. Now please attend to your own duties. I wish to be alone for a time."

"Yes my diamond. As you will."

* * *

The little peridot sat entranced at what she was hearing. Who would have thought she, of all gems, would be in this place at this time? She looked over at her sister seated before her next to the rose quartz and the human. She became misty eyed once more as she thought of the sister she'd lost, a sister she'd never met but whose loss she felt deeply. How much more her first generation sister must be grieving.

She touched her stone once again, marveling at the fact that this small, pudgy, pink some how human rose quartz made an effort to heal her damaged gem. And succeeded! The why of it was still beyond her comprehension. But that wasn't why she touched her gem. She, like all peridots, was a communication specialist and had an ability few other gem types could boast of. She quieted her inner thoughts and reached out.

"Sister? Are you okay?"

The pale peridot smiled softly and touched her own gem in turn. "Yes, I'm well. Our sister gave up her stone for her diamond. She was so brave. I miss her so, but I have you here to remind me of her. I am grateful that our diamond brought you with her, you've been a great help. And you? How are you faring?"

"I'm well also. I never met her, but her loss weighs on my stone. I've felt so heavy these last few days. How was it that she put herself in harm's way like that?"

"It was her way. She has always been devoted to our diamond, alway putting her first. We shared a harmonic bond before healing the Amethyst ..."

"Yes, I've heard that mentioned. But I've never experienced. I ... I'm a second generation and an era 2 gem. We don't have that ability."

"Oh, but you do little one. For one, your healing improved your gemstone beyond it's cracked state. You're an era 1 gem now. This isn't the time, but I'll teach you."

"Sister! Oh ... but, are you sure? I can do this?"

"Yes, little one, I am sure."

"... Thank you, sister. But please, tell me of our sister. I miss her so and I want to know of her shattering. I ... I wish to understand her."

The pale peridot paused. The little peridot feared she'd asked too much, but her sister smiled and spoke again.

"I was connected to her when Rose Quartz and the human fused with the enthralled amethyst. She felt what I felt, she experienced what I experienced. She understood exactly why this human _must_ not be destroyed if we are to heal our diamond's beloved. Spinel ..."

Her face grew dark. "Spinel has a temper and she is well known to shatter if it suits her. She isn't cruel, but she is uncaring. Our diamond had to discipline her once for shattering a ruby that didn't live up to her expectations. She's harsh. When she read the report of the massacre of gems, she became enraged. She sought to lash out at the only organic around - this human. Our sister tried to stop her but couldn't so she put her stone between the human and the obsidians ..."

She paused as she remembered what the lapis had told her about what happened. "She had no chance against those creatures. None. But she gave the rose quartz time to raise her bubble and protect the human. She sacrificed herself for her diamond and because of that, we still have a hope of saving our diamond's beloved. She ..."

The pale peridot broke the connection, fresh tears streaming down her face. The little peridot looked her way and gave her an knowing look, grateful that her sister would share even this much with her. _What next, sister? Where do we go from here?_


	45. Loss, Anger and Pain

"Mr. Universe? Can I speak with you?"

Greg looked up from his guitar. "Greg, Ronaldo. It's just Greg. What do you need?"

"I, um, I wanted to talk to you about Steven. If that's okay, that is."

Greg looked back down. He expected tears again, but he was dry. No, not dry - numb. It had been so long since the events at the Maheswaran homestead. "Sure, Ronaldo. What do you want to know?"

"That's just it. I thought I could tell you something." Greg looked up, fearful what he might hear but desperate in not knowing. He nodded.

"I have this reporter friend from the Delmarva Gazette. We've been working together since ... well, ever since. He told me that Steven is okay, or at least hasn't been harmed or anything."

Greg suddenly felt fresh tears forming. It had been so long ... "Steven? He's okay? How do you know?"

"Well, my friend he, um, has contacts, you know, in government and stuff. And they've been keeping an eye on Steven and Connie."

Ronaldo looked around, noticing not for the first time how shabby the car wash had become. There hadn't been business in weeks. Greg seemed to fit right in, just another broken piece of equipment that no one bothers with anymore. Greg's funk was nearly impossible to penetrate and folks quit trying after a time.

"So, yeah. Steven took that gem with him and they disappeared somewhere. They were lost to everyone for a while then they showed up at some house in Florida."

"Seamus? They went to see Seamus? But how ... oh yeah, Ruby. She'd know about him."

"Yeah, well, they were there for quite a while then a ship showed up. One of those gem ships I've been blogging about. Evidently they brought Sapphire with them and something happened and she was - I don't know - fixed or something. She and Ruby fused again and now Garnet's back."

"Garnet!" Greg's heart skipped a beat. "Garnet's back? Oh, thank god!" Garnet would look after Steven. Greg was sure of it.

"Yeah, and there were some other gems and stuff and they fixed Amethyst too."

Greg's heart really started skipping around at that. He took a breath. _Calm down. We can't go and have a heart attack_ now!

He looked up fearfully. "What about Pearl? Was ... was she there?"

"No, I don't think so. It was just Garnet, Amethyst, Peridot and Lapis. Oh, and those gems from the ship."

Greg sighed in relief not sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Um, but then something else happened? And, um, they got into a fight or something? And there were shots fired?" Greg's eyes widened.

"No, it's okay, no one was hurt. But maybe one of those other gems was shot or something. Steven and Connie are fine, but there was a lot of fighting going on and some really weird things came out of the ship and it was a big mess. There were some soldier guys or something and everybody was going crazy. In the end, though, um, ... well, um, ..."

"Jeez, Ronaldo! Don't screw with me like this! What happened to Steven!"

"Well, um, he and Connie left in the ship somewhere. James thinks they went to the moon or Mars or something."

"Garnet let them take Steven like that? Where is she? I need to talk to her!"

"No, Garnet and the rest went too."

Greg fell back in his chair, his guitar clattering on the ground and sounding a mournful chord that matched his feelings perfectly. Steven was okay! But the gems have him now. He nodded his appreciation and returned to his thoughts. Ronaldo thought to try and offer comfort but just left in the end.

* * *

"Where is my daughter!" Priyanka was nearly bright red as that gem they'd encountered. The chief tried calming her down.

"Don't mess with me boy! I want to know what happened to my Connie! So help me, if I don't get some answers I will burn this city to the ground! Just try me. **WHERE IS MY DAUGHTER!** " 

"Yes ma'am. One minute, okay? I'll get someone who can help." The chief behind the desk, at least a decade older and a combat veteran, visibly withered under her glare. "I'll be right back."

He stepped into the rear office. Priyanka listened as the chief spoke to whoever it was in the room. He returned a minute later, relief rolling off his face as Douglass Blount followed behind.

"Ms. Maheswaran? Come in. I'll tell you what we know." He escorted the diminutive volcano that had been trying to see him for weeks into his office. He secretly hoped it wasn't to his doom.

"Coffee? Water?" he asked as she stormed in. She glared and he sat down behind his desk. It seemed to offer protection. "Please, have a seat." Priyanka stood, in no mood to be mollified. He sighed and clasped his hands before him.

"First, your daughter is safe. She was with the Universe boy and some gems. They've been holed up at house on Florida Island."

"And you just left her there? With that Universe boy? We told her she wasn't to see him again!"

"Yes ma'am. We were hoping to extricate her when we thought it was safe. We didn't want to get into a battle with gems and risk the safety of the children." The lie seemed to have the desired effect. Priyanka finally took a seat but didn't drop her visage. He needed to tread softly.

"Wait. What do you mean you _'were'_ going to extricate her! What happened."

She's sharp he noted. _I'll need to keep the lies to a minimum. She'll probably see right through them._ He considered for a second then decided to just tell her the truth. Just not all of it.

"Okay. Listen. What I'm telling you is classified, okay? Legally I can't talk about this to anyone. Not even you."

"Look, pal, I don't give a rat's ass about your legal shit. Where is my daughter!"

"Okay. But _please_ calm down." She seemed to make an effort and he continued.

"She and the Universe boy were at a location in Florida. They were in the company of the two DMV gems that lived at the barn." He noted her confusion. "The peridot and lapis lazuli gems. They and a ruby type gem found their way to that location using that lion pet belonging to the Universe boy. "

He shifted in his seat. "A gem ship appeared and brought out the sapphire gem. They did that fusion thing and evidently repaired whatever the damage to her was. She and the ruby gem reformed into the garnet and then they repaired the amethyst. Something happened next, we don't know what, and we decided to try and rescue them. Our surveillance team moved in but the new gems attacked them. No one was hurt, but they were captured and could not complete the extrication."

He paused and considered what to say next. "The children were taken aboard the ship along with all of the other gems and departed. We don't know where." He usually didn't mind lying like this, but he felt guilty for some reason. "The only person left behind was the owner of the house, but he won't say anything. Trust me, we've tried."

"Did you water board him? How about bamboo shoots under his finger nails!"

"Ma'am, we don't do that. Not anymore, anyway."

"You would if you was _your_ daughter!"

"No, ma'am, I wouldn't." He was surprised out how easily he lied. _Practice, I suppose._

"So where are they now?" Her fire was being to drain from her body. 

"Ma'am, I wish I knew." He felt a fresh twinge of guilt. "We are confident the children are safe. We'll let you know as soon as we can when we find them." One last lie. _Damn, but I'm a first class prick._

Priyanka stood and left without saying another word. She would not let this first class prick see her cry.

* * *

Donna Wilcox sat in her chair. She rarely left it anymore. Not since the news of her Randall. He'd been on some mission to try and talk to the gems in South America. She'd begged him not to go. This was bad news, she just knew it. He reassured her, knowing just what to say, and she bid him a fearful goodbye.

Her heart sank into her gut when she saw the car drive up. It was one of those official looking cars and two men stepped out. She didn't need to hear the news - the look on their faces as they walked up the sidewalk told her everything she needed to know. No, not needed, feared above all else. Even so, she listened as they told her what happened.

She took little solace in learning the gem that had taken her Randall was killed. That didn't bring him back. They expressed their deepest, and no doubt heart felt, condolences and finally left. She didn't even see them out. She just stared out into the room and cried.


	46. An Experience Like No Other

Mother looked at Steven, her eyes piercing into his.

"The need for your healing tears is greater than even White knows. What did your garnet friend tell you that one time? Pearl? What was it? Ah, yes. 'You are not two people, and you are not one person.' She called it an 'experience'. That was very sagacious of her. Your experience as ... Stevonnie, yes? Your experience as Stevonnie must be unique in a way even I have not known."

She looked to the pale peridot. "You actually joined in that fusion, did you not Peridot?" The gem nodded. "So, Peridot, what did you 'experience'?"

The peridot began to speak, but Mother stopped her. "No, child. Don't tell me, share it with me." She held out her hand to the peridot. Now it was her turn to feel awkward. _Surely this is a jest. She's just messing with me. Because, surely not ..._ The large gem waited patiently, her hand remaining outstretched.

"M... Mother? Share? Here? In front of everyone?"

Mother cocked her head and smirked, her eyes smiling at the small gem's reaction. "Yes, child. Here. In front of everyone. Or perhaps you'd rather not?"

"Oh, no! No ... I mean, yes, my diamond. As you will."

Mother laughed, her mirth filling the room. Steven looked at Connie and smiled. Mother's humor was infectious. He came here wondering if he'd make it out alive. Now he was beginning to wonder if he was going to die laughing. This gem is not like White Diamond. Nor Pearl. She was ... something else. An experience like no other.

Mother contained her laughter and extended both hands. "Then come to me, my dear Peridot. Share with me your gem and your essence. Share this 'experience' called Stevonnie. I wish to know."

The pale peridot stood, her knees threatening to collapse at any moment. She approached the massive gem and took her hands. She closed her eyes and her gem began to glow. Mother did the same, the light from her gem causing Steven and Connie to squint from its brilliance.

The two lights approached one another, one massive and overwhelming, the other struggling just to be seen. The peridot gasped then fell to her knees. The two lights became one, pulsing slowly. The peridot's body became limp and Mother scooped her into her arms. Mother held the peridot in her loving embrace, the light they shared pulsing ever faster. The light grew in its brilliance, forcing Steven and Connie to cover their eyes. Even the zircon seemed affected. Suddenly the peridot jerked, her body rising from the arms of Mother. She floated as the light lifted her, spreading through her and erupting like fireworks.

The light receded, separated and finally returned to each gem independently. The peridot returned to Mother's arms who placed her carefully on the floor. She turned to the little peridot who looked up at Mother, her eyes wide and clearly about to dissipate.

"Here, child. Attend to your sister. I believe she was going to show you how to bond? I suspect you'll enjoy it. Go now, I have what I need."

The little peridot nodded and helped her sister to her feet and led her to the stairs. She stole one final glance back at Mother as she disappeared to the lower level.

Steven stared dumbstruck as the little peridot helped her sister down the stairs, then turned to Connie. He startled - he had never seen her blush that deeply before. He creased his brow for a second then his eyes shot wide open, his face the same color as his shirt.


	47. Optimism

President Carr cleared his throat bringing cross conversations to a halt. He looked up at his inner circle of advisors not sure if he should believe what he was reading.

"Are you _sure?_ All of them?"

Robert Colfax spoke for the rest. "Yes sir, we're sure. All remaining gem ships have departed. We've sent teams to every location we can think of and we're getting the same reports. Gem sites are abandoned. There are no operational ships to be found anywhere on Earth and no gems apart from those degenerate gems scattered across the globe. Further, the satellite interference is gone. We've been able to recover most of the affected systems."

"All of the gems are gone? You're sure?"

"Yes. Even the DMV gems are off planet. Our last indication has it they traveled to the lunar artifact in a gem ship prior to our attack on the diamond ships."

"And the diamonds? What of them?"

"Inconclusive. The strike was a success. The diamond ships and many of the ships nearby were destroyed by our drones. Battle damage assessment flights show total destruction of the target. Only two of our ships made it through their defenses, but that was enough. Live video feeds of the attack as it was in progress clearly showed the diamond ships in the area at the time of detonation. They're not there any more.

"We think the diamonds themselves may have made it off planet. Remote sensors suggest there was a massive energy surge at the site corresponding with a surge at the artifact prior to the attack. Consensus has it that there may have been an exodus of gems off planet using their teleporter pads."

Joseph pondered that last bit. "So the diamonds may not have been destroyed?"

"Y... correct. We cannot rule out that one or more, possibly all three, evaded the attack. We know the DMV garnet gem seemed to have some ability to anticipate future events and our analysts believe there are likely other gems with the same ability. We noticed the energy surge occurred shortly after we launched our drones. It's possible they have their own intelligence capabilities but we have no evidence. They don't seem to have paid much attention to humans for the most part. It would seem we're beneath our notice."

"Not any longer. I fear this strike may prove to have had undesirable consequences. Still, these reports are encouraging. What about the human gem and the Maheswaran child? Connie. I understand Doug had an interesting meeting with her mother. What of them?"

"They appear to be on the artifact. They traveled back in a gem ship. We'd sent a kill order to the team to take out the gems, but they failed. They say it was the fusion between those two that saved their lives. The human, Seamus Teague, saw the event but refuses to talk. We're keeping him in custody for now."

"Don't bother. Take him home. So. Gentlemen. Recommendations?"

Samuel Fairchild spoke up. "I'm recommending a stand down order. There is no immediate threat and citizens are becoming restless."

"Noted. Preston?"

"DEFCON4, sir. We don't know what if anything the gems at the artifact are up to. We must remain on guard."

"Alan?"

"I concur. We have some new hardened satellites we're sending up as soon as possible, including a stealth probe to the moon. We'll be better able to keep an eye on things there."

Joseph sat quietly for a few minutes then stood. "Okay gentlemen, I agree. Now, I have a press conference to attend. The natives are restless, as you say."

* * *

"Ladies and Gentlemen! The President of the United States!"

President Carr entered the room as Hail to the Chief played. He stood behind a podium and looked out on the press corps as the music came to an end. _Restless doesn't begin to describe it._

"Sit. I'll be brief. You are aware of the recent activity by extraterrestrial beings colloquially known as gems. We have reason to believe they represented a threat to our planet. We reached out in an effort to reach an understanding but our contact team was killed.

"National leaders across the globe came together and we mounted a joint coordinated attack in an effort to destroy the invaders. We launched a nuclear strike against a primary target where the gem leadership had assembled. Battle damage assessments indicate we were able to destroy the site and coordinated attacks across the globe took out other targets. Intelligence reports show all gems have been destroyed or have left of their own accord.

"We are lifting our current security status. We know how inconvenient this has been, but the threat cannot be over stated. All travel restrictions have been lifted and security checks will return to normal levels. We appreciate the nation's patience in this difficult time."

"On that note, I've been in close communication with my counterparts across the the globe. We've decided to put past disagreements behind us. To that end, I'm suspending the restrictions of the China-US Relations bill passed last year and I am working with my friends in the Senate and House to repeal that legislation. Such punitive acts no longer make sense in this new world. We'll have more details about this over the next few days."

He put down the prepared notes and took a breath. "Okay, I'll take your questions now. James?"


	48. Fission

Zircon waited until the two peridots had found their way down stairs then turned and looked up at Mother.

"That was quite a performance, _my diamond._ I'm just wondering. Perhaps you'd like to invite Stevonnie to try that. If you're not too spent, that is."

Steven and Connie did there absolute best to disappear into their seats, their faces two shades redder than before if that were possible.

"Zircon! Manners!" Mother flashed what could only been taken as genuine annoyance at the thought. "We have guests here. Don't tease them like that! Really, you have no shame."

"Dear, sweet, Rose. You must forgive my _child_ " she nodded towards the ancient gem "her impertinence. She forgets her place from time to time. She meant no harm." She looked down a second time. "Did she?"

Zircon did her best to swallow her smirk and turned to Steven. "Certainly not. Please forgive me my ... _impertinence._ "

Both gems suddenly broke out in raucous laughter leaving Steven and Connie to wonder if these gems weren't the crazy ones.

* * *

Mother collected herself after a bit, then smiled. "Dear, dear, Rose. You must be at your wits end by now. I trust I'm not what you expected."

Steven shook his head. "Uh, no ma'am. You have certainly not been anything like what I expected. Pearl would never have done that and White Diamond didn't seem the type either."

"No, of course not. But I'll let you in on a little secret." She leaned in as if sharing a confidence with a fellow co-conspirator. "Pearl ... isn't always so prim and proper. I mean, someone had to figure out how to do that, don't you think?" She laughed again then settled back in her seat.

"But enough of that. You've no idea how tedious things can sometimes be. Please forgive me and my friend a little fun at your expense."

Zircon nodded in agreement. "Yes, this was a rare respite from the norm. Besides, things have been very, very difficult these last few thousand years. We needed the laugh.

"In all seriousness, however, you need to understand what this is. Mother is not a fusion though she carries the title of First Fusion. She is whole now. This is her true form. You think of fusion in terms of Garnet - the joining of two minds, coming together to form a new gem. Alas, that isn't the case here. White Diamond and Pearl represent a fission. They are at best only incomplete expressions of Mother. They are each deeply flawed as a result. They are less than the sum of their parts when they are apart from one another."

Mother's smile lessened as she listened. "It's true child. I am not myself when I am apart. White forgets how important the organic side of her is. She despises what you are now. And she truly loathes Stevonnie. Never forget that, no matter how she may behave around you. Her hatred for you runs deep. She desires nothing less than to shatter you with her own hand."

Zircon spoke up. "For now, however, you needn't fear White Diamond's wrath. She foolishly enthralled her beloved and, worse, herself as well. Now, even as Mother, the damage she wrought cannot be undone. Mother will remain as long as Pearl is contaminated. You're safe. For now."

She thought for a second, then continued. "But be very careful around Yellow Diamond. She too loathes the organic, her hatred only heightened by the fact she can no longer rejoin with her own pearl. The long separation has twisted her mind. White has been toying with you, but Yellow won't. She will shatter you on the spot the moment she lays eyes on you. Beware.

"Blue Diamond also resents the organic for much of the same reasons. But, unlike her sister, she will not harm you. It will not bring her lost sister back. The funny thing is, Blue Diamond is the quicker of the two to shatter gems, especially cross gem fusions like Garnet. She is deeply angered by her own separation from her pearl, and no other gem may fuse if she can't. You may be safe, but Garnet is not. Take care."

* * *

Mother sat for a moment, lost in thought. "It's time you departed. I must understand what Peridot and I shared. As much as my dear Zircon may like to tease, that wasn't for show. I must understand your fusion. You are our only hope, and not just for Pearl. Much more is at stake. Peridot's decision to fuse with Stevonnie may indeed hold the key to many things. I must think on this."

The pale beryl arrived even as Mother spoke, as though summoned. "Beryl. I leave these two in your care. Keep them from Spinel and return them to their homes. Be careful as you do. The humans will not react well to your returning to their planet."

Steven started to object. "No! Please! I need to know what happened! Why did my mom shatter Pink Diamond!"

Mother seemed to be considering this when Connie spoke up. "No, that's okay. We'll be back again, right?" Mother nodded. "Steven. We need to go."

Steven was upset. "Why? I have so many questions!"

"Steven! There aren't any bathrooms here! We need to leave now. Okay?"

Mother laughed again, tears starting to stream down her face. "Oh, my poor child. I forgot about your biology! My sincerest apologies! Beryl. Hurry up. Time's a wasting!"


	49. Back to the House

Beryl approached the four gems on the lower level, Steven and Connie bouncing down the steps behind her.

"Garnet. You are to take the others and leave. There is a long abandoned warp pad that you have had no knowledge of. We recently repaired it in anticipation of our recolonization of this planet. It has not been used, so it is likely the humans are not aware of it."

Connie twisted the front of her shirt as she looked around the space. "Garnet? Can you take us there? Now?"

The pale gem seemed disinterested in her discomfort. "We are unsure of the limits of human technology and we cannot guarantee they will not detect your arrival. We will simultaneously activate several other warp pads across the planet as diversion. The humans will not be able to check them all and this should give you the opportunity to slip past them."

"Great plan! Don't you agree, Steven? That sounds really good. Let's do that Garnet. Time's a wasting here. That what the boss lady gem upstairs was saying, remember? Let's get this _show_ on the road! How about it?"

Garnet looked at Connie and nodded. "Yes, I don't believe you can hold out much longer. Let's go. Thank you Beryl. Oh, and Connie, Earth gravity is much heavier than here. Be prepared for more ... pressure."

Steven and the rest boarded the warp pad. Beryl joined them and created a diamond shape with her hands. The warp core glowed and they were sucked into its wake. They arrived on the new pad and Connie immediately began to look around. _Woods. Just great. Doesn't matter. Gotta go - Garnet was right._

She ran off into the woods as the others stepped down from the pad. Only Beryl remained. "Be careful, Crystal Gem. You have the protection of our Mother, but should White Diamond return, that protection is withdrawn. There will be no mercy given."

The warp pad glowed a second time and the pale gem was gone. Connie rejoined the group a few minutes later, seeming uninterested in discussing the last few minutes with anybody.

* * *

Garnet looked at Steven. "What now, Steven? Where do you want to go?"

Steven considered. "I think we need to return to our house. Can you make a fortified room in the temple? Somewhere we can be safe if we need to. Does your future vision say anything? Will we be safe there?"

Garnet nodded. "I don't see anyone at the house when we arrive. There are some time lines where the military arrives later, but it is not clear. We'll be safe for a time, at least. And yes, there are many unused spaces in the temple we can use as protection."

"Okay. Lion, take us to the house. I don't want to use the warp pad in case ours is being monitored."

Lion stood back and lowered his head. He gruffed and walked away. He was annoyed at Steven. He is Lion. The Desert Warrior, favored among his pride by Rose Quartz. She came to him and saved him as a cub. He fought for her cause during that ancient war, earning his place by her side. He repaid his debt to her many times over. He was offended now that his gem friend sees him as little more than a personal taxi service. He can find his own way to the house. He opened a portal and traveled to where the gem lizards were waiting. He was hungry now. They can catch up again later.

* * *

Steven blinked as Lion disappeared into his portal. He looked around, confused. "Garnet? What was that about?"

"I don't know, Steven."

"Didn't you see that coming?"

"Steven. I cannot see the future. No one can. I explained that to you. There are many possible outcomes. This was one but I didn't expect it to happen. You must take my advice if offered, but you must _never_ treat it as fact. It never has been and never will be. Do you understand?"

Steven had an irritated look on his face. _What use is future vision if you can't trust it?_ He kept his thoughts to himself and nodded.

"Okay. Then I guess we need to use the warp pad after all. Garnet, Amethyst, have your weapons ready. Connie, I'm sorry but Lion has your sword." Connie nodded, annoyed but with no option.

Steven summoned his shield and they mounted the wrap pad. It glowed and they floated in its stream until they arrived at the house.

A quick look about confirmed what Garnet had seen. "I'll see about creating safe spaces," she said as she disappeared into her room.

Amethyst disposed of her whip and walked over the the refrigerator. She opened the door, unleashing a noxious odor. She rummaged around and pulled out several unrecognizable items. She began to eat one when Steven spoke up.

"Um, Amethyst? Remember that last time? You got really sick."

"I know! Wasn't it great?" she said through a mouthful of food, spraying the room with crumbs.

"Connie, we need to go somewhere. I need you to come with me, okay?" Connie nodded and they left the house

They walked down the ramp then past the Big Donut, turning right on Thayer Street. They arrived at a familiar location several minutes later, though it was much more shabby than either could remember.

* * *

" _STEVEN!_ " Greg cried out, nearly falling in his haste to get out of his chair. "Oh, Steven! Steven!"

Father and son ran towards each other and Greg pulled Steven into his arms. All he could say for several minutes was "Steven". Steven couldn't manage to say anything. The two were lost to the world for several minutes when Greg looked up and noticed Connie.

"Connie! You're here too? Come here!" Greg covered the distance in two strides, bent down and gave her a hug also.

"I'm so relieved you two are safe!" he said, finally releasing her. "What happened?"

Connie and Steven looked at other. _Where to start?_

* * *

A small ship floated before the entryway. Lights flashed, data streams initialized and the ship matched its rotation to that of the massive mother ship. The doors twisted open with an eerie silence, puffs of gas dissipating into the void. The ship advanced into the cavernous space and positioned itself next to a docking station.

Sinuous arms reached out and stabilized the small ship then made multiple connections. A passageway extended and sealed itself around the ship's hatch. An artificial atmosphere was created inside the passageway and the hatched opened. A small figure floated from the shuttle and made it's way into the interior of the vast ship. He was in a hurry, his master not known for his patience.

* * *

Your lordship. I have news.

_Sandu. So you're back. Speak._

We've found the blue one, sire. She has returned to her temple.

_As I suspected. Her fortifications. How are they?_

Formidable as always. More so. It seems she has had help from her sister. I do not believe we can mount a successful attack.

_I see. Then we shall have to draw her out. And the others? What news have you of them?_

We continue to seek, sire. The yellow one moves from fortress to fortress. She is difficult to locate before she's moved on.

_I am not interested in 'difficult', Sandu. Tell my generals that if they believe this task 'difficult', I'll help them regain a proper perspective. Bring me the scales of Salonest. Take your time in collecting them. Perhaps that will help the others to remember how 'difficult' things can truly be._

Yes, sire.

_What of The Last And The First? She is my desire above all. I shall have that ones stone. Has she been found?_

No, sire. She remains elusive as always. We cannot find any hint of her presence in any system in our star charts. It's as if she no longer exists.

_She exists, fool! Look beyond your star charts! Bring me her location!_

Yes, sire. As you command.


	50. Doug

Greg parked his van and stepped out. He walked to the door and knocked. Doug Maheswaran answered. "Greg? Can I help you?"

"Yes. Please get Priyanka and come with me. I have news about Connie you'll want to hear."

Doug stumbled back a step then turned into the house. "Pri! Get your jacket - there's some news about Connie!"

Greg blinked as Priyanka suddenly appeared before him, seemingly from nowhere. A light breeze brushed across his face, no doubt due to her arrival. She grabbed his arm and squeezed. Hard.

"Greg? You have news about Connie? Where is she? Is she okay? Do they have her? What do you know?"

"It's best if you come with me. She's at the house and she's okay. I need you t..." Priyanka was already past him and climbing into the van.

"Let's go! Doug! Move your ass! Greg! Hurry up! Let's go! Let's go!"

Greg opened the rear door of the van for Doug, then climbed in and drove back to Beach City. Priyanka peppered him with questions he couldn't hope to answer. He had driven Steven and Connie back to the house and immediately left to collect his passengers. He knew damn good and well what they'd been going through lately and there wasn't time to waste.

They pulled up next to the statue and stepped out. Connie was bounding down the stairs at the same moment as they were running up the ramp. They collided and collapsed into a bundle, each hugging the other with not nearly enough arms to go around. Greg stood back and waited. He knew exactly how they felt and there would plenty of time later to talk.

* * *

Garnet came down the ramp and waited as well. Once the initial round of hugs was out of the way, she spoke.

"Come into the house. We mustn't be outside for too long. There are already watchful eyes nearby."

Everyone stood and followed the tall gem into the house. Priyanka never lost physical contact with her daughter as they left the beach for the relative safety of the house.

Connie sat with her parents on the couch as Steven and Greg pulled up a couple of chairs. Garnet and Amethyst stood by as Steven spoke up.

"Mr. and Mrs. Maheswaran, I need to talk to you. Connie and I have had an amazing adventure and it isn't over with yet."

They spent the rest of the day and much of the evening with Steven and Connie as they shared all they'd experience ever since Steven had taken Connie from her home that long ago evening.

"Please understand, that was necessary. We tried to get to you to convince you to come with us, but we were too late. We had to believe that sooner or later the gems would have returned and taken Connie with them. She was in great danger from them at the time and we couldn't take any chances."

Connie turned to her parents with tearful eyes. "I'm sorry mom, but Steven's right. The gems came to Earth to colonize it and they were determined to capture me and Steven. We had to leave and we really did try to bring you with us."

Priyanka's eyes focused on Steven like lasers as she spoke to Connie. "It wouldn't have been necessary if you hadn't ... _fused_ with this boy. It's that Stevonnie, or whatever you call her, that created this mess!"

Connie stood and walked over to Steven. "Yes, mother. That's right. We fused into Stevonnie. We didn't plan it, it just happened. And it's done now. We can't take it back and the gems won't forget. There's nothing gained by going over something that we can't change. We have to look forward."

Priyanka snapped her head aside as she crossed her arms. "Well, regardless, you need to come home now. You can't stay here."

"No, mother. I must stay _here_. I'm not safe at home. The gems and the government and who knows who else are watching us and sooner or later one of them will try and take us again. We're safer here than anywhere. I so want to go home with you, but I can't!"

Connie's eyes began to tear up again. "Please don't be mad, mommy. We never wanted any of this. We just wanted to be kids. The fuse thing was an accident but it wasn't a bad thing. This is special and it's us and I wouldn't stop even if I could. I'm still your Connie, but I'm Stevonnie, too."

Doug had remained silent most of the time as was his nature. Now he spoke up.

"Pri. Listen to your daughter. She's right. I don't like the ... fusion any more than you do. But we can't change it. We _must_ think about what's best for Connie."

He turned to his daughter who looked back, surprise in her eyes. "Connie, are you sure about this?" She nodded. "Steven. Do you swear - on your _life_ \- that you will protect her." Steven nodded also. "Good. Because if you survive this and she doesn't, I will end you myself."

Steven swallowed and Greg stood. _He didn't just threaten Steven, did he?_

Amethyst spoke up. "Don't sweat it, D. We have their backs. Garnet and I will protect both of them. You have our words." Garnet nodded in agreement.

Steven looked around, surprised by this sudden turn. It was about to get ugly, from the looks of things.

"Mr. Maheswaran, you have my word. I will protect Connie with my life. I swear." _Jeez, I though her mom could be intense!_

Priyanka looked at her husband and nodded. The tension broken, they allowed Greg to drive them home. It was a tense drive, but nothing more was spoken. In the end, Connie and Steven were safe and that's really what mattered.


	51. Klatos the Least

"It is time, Klatos the Least. You have no status, no worth and no place at your father's table. Why do you insist on remaining alive? Why do you insult this court with your continued existence? You know the old traditions, you've been taught. It is your duty. Take yourself to the low dessert and end it."

Klatos chaffed under this most belittling of titles. Still, Danos was right. It was his duty to die. This was the fate of the last born son of every generation. He was the last to emerge from the birthing chamber for his brood and everyone agreed this showed his lack of worth. His will, his intellect, his prowess - everything about him flew in the face of this accepted wisdom, but it didn't matter. He was required to walk in the desolate low desert and die. It was what he deserved for not being born earlier than his brothers.

No one cared if it was fair or not. No one cared of his potential. He had the title of Klatos the Least and that alone determined his fate. It was the way of his clan. It was a tradition so ancient its origins were lost to memory. No one could explain why he must sacrifice himself and no one cared enough to even try. It was the law and he would be held to it.

"You're being stubborn, Klatos. I don't understand your resistance. You have nothing to offer except to present your scales to the sands. But it doesn't matter. You'll no longer be indulged. Either depart with you dignity intact or be carried away in bondage. Either way, you will be escorted to the desert this day. Choose, Klatos. Choose now or I will choose for you."

* * *

The sun beat down on his back as he trekked across the desert. It had been less than half a day and the heat was already claiming its deadly toll. He was given no water or food. He was there to die, why prolong it? But Klatos was stubborn. He would find a way to survive, even if it killed him. He grimaced at the morbid joke. Small pleasures are better than none, he mused.

It wouldn't be long now. He was already dizzy and confused. Soon, his vision would fail, his body would give out and his scales would fall from his frame. Desert scavengers were already following in his footsteps. They nipped at his heels, unafraid of anything he might do in response.

He made it into the night. The heat gradually receded only to be replaced with a biting cold. He wanted to light a fire, but he knew it would alert the others sent to ensure his demise. His only hope now was to remain hidden and find water and food.

That would be a lot easier than his followers could possibly imagine. He was smarter than any of the others of his clan of his or any other generation. He'd understood long ago his fate would lead him here. He may be fated to come to this place, but there was no reason why he had to be fated to die here.

He had scouted the desert at night starting in his youth. No one really cared what he did - he was Klatos the Least, after all - and few took note of his nocturnal excursions. He scouted the land until he knew it better than his own court. He had stashed food and water at strategic locations in preparation for this day. Now that it was dark, now that his followers were satisfied of his death and had settled in for the night, he made his way to the nearest cache and slaked his thirst.

He did not sleep that first night nor the next day. He pushed on until he was well beyond the reach of his killers eyes. He knew that they would not admit they'd lost him and they'd report they'd found his dead body the next day. They wouldn't concern themselves about it because after all, how could he possibly survive this place? So what if they lost his trail? Dead was dead. Except when it wasn't.

* * *

"Klatos! Not like that! I've told you! They'll collect your scales! Do it like I showed you!"

Klatos ignored the objections. That way was inefficient. There were better ways to remove the ore from the mine but the old man was too timid to try. Not that he blamed him - the owners didn't tolerate failure. Better to stick with the tried and true than take a chance on the new and untested. It fell to Klatos to take the risk. And why not? Every day after surviving the desert ordeal was a gift. He would not waste it.

"Don't get your comb in a knot, old man. I know what I'm doing. You'll see and I'll even let you take the credit!"

The old man scoffed. "Yeah, as long as you get a cut of the bonus. Okay, it's your neck. Just make sure you wrap up by the end of the shift. That won't be long, you know that!"

Klatos turned back to his task and put his back into the next push. _That should do it._ He returned to the surface and calibrated his equipment. Satisfied he'd done all he could, he set his new process in motion. If it worked like he hoped, they'd not only increase their yield but they'd separate the valuable ore from the waste in a single step.

He held his breath and waited. Nothing happened at first, but that was to be expected. Still, it was nerve wracking. The old man looked on, worry etched on his face. Klatos would pay the ultimate price if this failed, but he'd be punished as well. He was taking a huge risk trusting Klatos. It was a testament to their friendship that he was willing to do so.

The ground began to shudder, nearly imperceptibly at first. It strengthened then settled into a rhythmic vibration that rattled the bones. It was working! Klatos signaled his ground crew and they began to cycle the ore cars through the seam. An excited cry found its way to his station telling him he'd succeeded. He'd keep his scales one more day after all.

* * *

"Klatos, you fool! You did it! Now you'll be insufferable." The old man slid into the stall next to him and slapped him on his back. "You should make a pretty good sum from this, even after I take my cut. So, you going to buy a bride?"

Klatos flared his nose and snorted. That was another archaic tradition of his clan. He couldn't understand how such a vital function had been reduced to a matter of mere commerce. Still, that's how it was. No respectable female would accept not receiving her bride price. If a male wanted access to her eggs, he'd have to pay up. The more he was willing to pay, the more eggs she'd produce for him.

His father, of course, could afford many eggs from many females. Each year produced a new brood and each year a new Least One. It was infuriating and he refused to participate. Better not to sire than to send your own child to his death. Just because he was a late birther.

"We'll see, old man. You'll be the first to know, okay?" His friend just laughed and order another round for the two of them.

"Well, you do what you think you must. Me? I'm going to find me a breeder as soon as I can. It's been way too long since I've had a brood of my own."

Klatos kept his thoughts to himself. It would do little good to argue about something that couldn't be changed. It was the way of the clan. Besides, this was his last haul. Not purchasing a bride allowed him to save his earnings, something few others seem to care about. This last payment would settle his debt with the company and he was free to go. But there was no reason not to enjoy one last evening with old friends.

* * *

"Klatos. Your reputation is well known to me. I'm surprised to find you on my door step. Are you serious?" The abbot of the monastery gave him a look of curiosity. The Order was not for everyone, especially for those in the lower castes.

"Yes, abbot. This has been my goal for many years. I entered into a contract for employment and now that I've fulfilled my terms, I've been released. I saved my earnings and I have the requisite admission fees."

"You have no royal or governmental sponsorship. You understand this will make you the least among your peers?"

"Yes. I understand."

The abbot considered Klatos for a long time. Non-sponsored monks weren't unheard of but they were exceedingly rare. This monastery hadn't had one for a long time. Perhaps never, it was hard to say. "Nonspons" had a tough time. They had no rank and no privileges. They weren't prevented from advancing up the Order, but the path was long and difficult.

"Leave your belongs here, then. You will be admitted on probation. You'll have no rank. You'll have to earn your way at every turn. Your admittance fees will not cover your costs. You'll have to accept the most menial of jobs and work double duty to make up the deficit."

Klatos looked up at the abbot and shrugged. He had a small travel pack with him and nothing of value in it.

"You will not be given any slack on your studies nor your clerical duties. You won't have any free time to yourself for years. Are you sure?"

Klatos nodded and handed over his money pack. The abbot accepted it, turned and led him forward to his new quarters.


	52. Alarm

Technical Sergeant Elton looked up from this terminal and took in the empty room. This place was abuzz with activity 24/7 just a few days ago. Now an eerie silence hung in the room during the midshift. He stood to stretch when the first alarm sounded, startling him and causing him to turn back to his console. Little red dots began to pulse, one after the other, covering the world map. He picked up the hot line and called his OIC.

"What? Are you sure?" Sgt Elton checked his tongue. Captain O'Malley was a decent enough officer but had a bad habit of asking the obvious.

"Yes sir. There are gem activity alerts across the globe."

"But... how? We took them out during the strike on the diamond control center!"

"I don't know, cap. All I can tell you is there is a boat load of them everywhere. SatCons 1, 2 and 5 show ... 27 locations scattered around the planet. I can tell you this - they don't correspond with any known sites. That's probably how we missed them. They all just started glowing all at once... wait ... they've all gone silent now. I have their approximate locations. We could only triangulate in on a few. The rest have a CME of 50 klicks or more. No, wait, there's another one. It's at the DMV domicile site. No doubt. And... now it's quiet too."

"Okay. Fine. Um. Activate GemTac teams 1, 2 and ... dammit ... better call in team 6. And notify the SEALS. We need eyes on those sites ASAP. Call in your people and get that place up to full staffing. You've sent the data, right?"

Sgt Elton sighed. "Yes sir. It should be on your console now." _Staring you right in the face if you took a second to look._

Several bleary eyed airman arrived thirty minutes later, griping at the late hour for a mass recall. Sgt. Elton wasn't in the mood for it. "Look, dipshits, you know what we're dealing with here. Just do your jobs and quit your bitchin'. You don't have to like it and I don't want to hear it. Locate those sites before we're faced with a full scale invasion. We got to give the teams better info than this to work with. They're going in blind."

His team grumbled, but they were professionals. They shot back a few smart ass comments of their own just because they felt like it and went to work. Gem sites, once activated, left a residual signature that could be detected for at least a few hours. Classified and officially disavowed satellites were reassigned and began honing in. Sophisticated and highly specialized software crunched the numbers and it became clear. These were transport pads.

Sgt. Elton rubbed his temple and swore out loud. "Any visuals yet?"

The tech at the recon station pulled up a fresh window and started typing commands. "A few are coming on line now. Nothing so far. The pads are well hidden from the looks of things. I don't see any evidence of gems themselves but I doubt we would. Still, it seems things are awful quiet."

Sgt. Elton muttered under his breath. He fired off a quick text to his wife. She was going to have to deal with the kids by herself for the next few days.

* * *

"What! When?!?" President Carr slumped into his chair. "I thought we'd run them off!"

Secretary Marsh pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yes sir, Mr. President. We thought so as well. Our Gem Monitoring Station reports 28 transport pads suddenly went active, including at the DMV domicile. We have dispatched teams, several of which have already arrived. There is no evidence of any activity. The sites are clean. We're destroying them as we find them."

"I don't understand. You mean they just lit up their pads but didn't send anything?"

"I don't know sir. It doesn't make any sense. But, yeah, that seems to be it. We've reached out the the CGT to report back on the DMV domicile. Preliminary reports are inconclusive. It appears Mr. Universe and the Maheswarans have arrived at the domicile. Apart from that, nothing."

_Dammit!_ "Okay, goto to DEFCON3. Does Prescott have anything?"

"He should be contacting you shortly, but I reached out to him. It appears the lunar artifact is still active. The lunar probe is sending data now. We have evidence that a ship arrived shortly after we took out the diamond ships. There was a corresponding EM burst corresponding with the recent activity and we believe they are related."

"Fine. Okay. Take out those transport pads. And, dammit!, double up on the search for others. These are certainly not the only ones. We're going to need to do something about that lunar site. Get with Prescott and bring me some options."

President Carr hung up the phone and threw his head back. He stared out the window and picked up the phone a second time. "Linda, contact Bob. I need to talk with him and Blount." _Just when I thought I might get a full night's sleep._


	53. Garnet

"Garnet?" Steven asked. "Why? Why did my mom shatter Pink Diamond? Why won't anyone answer the question? I thought White Di... Mo... that big gem lady was going to tell me and all of a sudden she ran us off! It isn't fair!"

Garnet sat on the couch next to Steven. Amethyst looked up in anticipation. She'd never heard this story before either.

"I don't know Steven. I thought I did. I mean, I know what Pearl and Rose told me, but I no longer know what to believe. There have been so many lies. I'm scared to say _anything_ anymore."

Steven lowered his head and his face clouded over. "That isn't good enough, Garnet. I'm sick and tired of being left out of every thing. Tell me what you know! Please!"

"Steven." Lapis pulled up and sat next to him. "Maybe I can help. I was sent here to scout the Earth in order to ... change it. It was my job to help with the construction of the new colony for the diamonds. My diamond, Blue Diamond, sent me to see where things stood. You remember what happened after that with the mirror and all. I was poofed and trapped in that evil thing for thousands of years."

Steven looked at Lapis, turning his back to Garnet. He didn't know what to think any more. His friends - his family! - wasn't telling him anything. Garnet's reticence really hurt. _So, yeah, she's confused. I get it. But she has something to be confused about! I don't even have that._

Now he's discovering the diamonds are not what he thought they were - none of them. Blue and Yellow Diamond's grief over the loss of their sister shocked him. They aren't the big, evil creatures he was led to believe. And White Diamond! Or, rather, Mother! _What_ on Earth was that about! She was nice! She cared for him and Connie! Why?!?

"I remember. You came to visit and found yourself in a war."

"Yes. A war that no one expected. By the time I arrived, the rebellion was fully engaged. Gems everywhere were rising up and throwing off the yoke of gem tyranny. It was horrible. Gems were being shattered and bubbled everywhere. Most gems today, and I think Peridot will agree, blame your mother." The little gem nodded.

"Yes, that was what the records told us. Rose Quartz, your mom, rose up - oh, I just got that! Hahahaha."

"Peridot!" Steven snapped. "Focus!"

Peridot shrank back a bit. Connie rose and went to her. She put her arm around Peridot's shoulders as she gave Steven a dirty look.

"It's okay, Peri. Steven's just being an ass right now. He's been under a lot of stress. Don't worry about it. Go ahead and finish."

"I'm sorry, Peri! I didn't mean anything by that. It's just ... it's just been so much to take in. I didn't mean to yell at you. Do you forgive me?" Steven's face flickered between irritation then chagrin and finally settled for remorse.

"Yeah, Steven. I forgive you. I know it's been hard. It's been hard on all of us. But, yeah, your mom was blamed for everything. She rebelled against her diamond, recruited gems all over the planet and finally shattered Pink Diamond. She is always the bad guy in those reports. There's nothing about Pink Diamond being crazy or anything like that."

"Right," Lapis said, picking up the thread. "The remaining gems went to great lengths to hide the truth about their sister. Your mother took the full brunt of their anger and fear."

She paused, considering. "Garnet. You need to tell Steven what you know, even if you're unsure of it. He needs to hear this from you."

Garnet looked at Steven and a rare tear ran down her cheek. "I'm sorry Steven. I know I've been holding back, but I just didn't know how to tell you. And as I learned more I began to question my own understanding. I didn't want to tell you something that wasn't true. But here's what I know.

"Pink Diamond really was insane. That much I can vouch for. You remember how I told you about Ruby and Sapphire first fusing into me? Well, Blue Diamond was here on Earth to keep an eye on Pink Diamond. She shattered her entire first court the moment she met them. There was no warning, not even a reason given, she just went ballistic and destroyed dozens of elite gems.

"White Diamond came to Earth with Blue Diamond and she made a fateful decision. She bequeathed her pearl, _our_ Pearl, to Pink Diamond. I ... I guess it helped. Pink Diamond was much calmer, sometimes even rational, as long as Pearl was around. I didn't know this, Steven. I learned it when you did. I always thought she was made for Pink Diamond. I never knew ...

"Anyway, Pearl's presence helped Pink Diamond's mind stabilize itself. That's when Blue Diamond set up her court here. Your mom was made then too. I really don't know anything about that part - Rose and Pearl never talked a lot about the time before the rebellion. I only met them after it started. All I know, and only because Pearl slipped up one day, was that White Diamond herself made her.

"I never knew she was made to heal Pink Diamond. That was never mentioned. I just figured she was a special courtier for Pink Diamond. But it explains a lot of stuff, you know? Your mother was the only gem ever that could heal other gems. It never occurred to me to ask why she would have that ability, but now I know ...

"Yeah. Anyway, something happened and Rose rebelled. Pearl was the first gem to join her. Once again, I never learned why she abandoned her diamond. You weren't the only one kept in the dark, Steven. But now I think I understand. Well, maybe a little.

"All that stuff Mother told you helps explains it ... I think so, anyway. She wasn't Pink Diamond's pearl, she was White Diamond's. And being bequeathed was too hard for her. She felt hurt and abandoned and when Rose started her rebellion she was quick to jump on board. Blue Diamond had learned to work with Pink Diamond in her madness by then, so for awhile she was stable.

"But only for awhile. She became increasing unstable the longer the war went on. White Diamond reached out to Rose over and over, but she would not return and Pearl refused to leave Rose's side. They had come a couple by then. Not like Ruby and Sapphire, it wasn't that deep, but it existed. You never met Rainbow Quartz, but that was your mother's fusion with Pearl. She was exquisite, but ultimately, she couldn't last."

Garnet stood and walked to the door and looked up at the painting of Rose hanging over it. "One day, she had a private meeting with Bismuth. They argued about something, I don't know what, but it was bitter. Maybe your mom objected to Bismuth's readiness to shatter elite gems. Like you did ... I'm sorry Steven, I didn't mean to dredge up old feelings.

"But anyway, she once mentioned a special weapon that Bismuth had made. It was the Breaking Point, I know that now. Then suddenly, Bismuth was gone. Your mom told us she'd been shattered during a battle, but we never knew the truth. Until you found her, that is. That was a deep lie, Steven, and I'm so sorry to have to tell you this. It is why I've avoided this conversation.

"So yeah," Garnet wiped a fresh tear from her cheek. "The war was ugly Steven. Rose kept our forces in the fight with her healing tears, but it was clear that we could not prevail. It was a stalemate. Worse, Pink Diamond's old madness was returning. She needed Pearl but Pearl would not return. I'm beginning to think her prolonged absence from her true diamond was taking a toll of its own on her mind. She wasn't thinking straight.

"But it didn't matter. Rose was still opposed to Pink Diamond's reign for reasons of her own and they finally met on the field of battle. You know the one - Norway, with the giant strawberries. Everyone knew this would decide the war. You mother brought out that terrible weapon and shattered Pink Diamond's gem. I've never told you why because I've never known! I never knew what drove her to abandon her diamond, to go to war with her and to finally shatter her."

Garnet turned and pulled Steven into her embrace. "Oh, Steven. I'm so sorry. I really am. I wanted to tell you but I didn't know how. I only know what she did, not why. I wish I could answer this for you, but I can't. I ... can't Steven - I don't know!"

They held each other for several long minutes. There wasn't a dry eye in the house. Finally, they separated and Garnet looked at Steven, for once allowing her fear, doubt and shame to be openly expressed.

Steven turned to Garnet and held her hand. He looked at the portrait of a mother he never knew and lowered his head. "Thank you, Garnet. I know this was hard for you, but I needed to know." Connie came over and took a seat next to him and held his hand. They fell asleep for the first time in each other's arms.


	54. Old Ones

"Yellow, sweetie?" Mother called out to her daughter. "Stop avoiding me, we need to talk. I know you can hear me. Come to me. I must know your intentions."

Yellow Diamond grumbled to her pearl as she brushed the voice from her mind. "We don't have time for this, Pearl. Why can't she understand that?"

The diminutive gem nodded in agreement. "I don't know, my diamond, but that's Mother for you." She hopped down and went to her console.

Yellow Diamond sighed and leaned back in her chair. She scowled as she heard another voice in her gem, frantic and desperate. Something was wrong.

"Blue! What is it?"

"Yellow! Oh sister, I need your help! It's Pearl - they've taken her!"

Yellow Diamond abruptly shot up, startling her pearl. "Who! What are you talking about, Blue? Who took your pearl?"

"The enemy, Yellow. The Old Ones. They took her! I need you here sister. We have to get her back, Yellow! Come to me!"

"Get with your zircon and find out what you can. I'm on my way. Pearl, bring me Beryl. We are to depart as soon as possible. Make the arrangements." The little gem jumped and returned to her console.

Yellow Diamond had no choice now. She needed to speak to Mother. This couldn't wait. She relaxed and began to seek the center of her gem. She calmed her mind and reached out. "Mother. It's Yellow. I'm here. Speak to me."

"Yellow! Finally! We need to talk."

"Not now Mother, we have a problem. The Old Ones have taken Blue's beloved. I must go to her. We'll have to talk later. I promise."

Yellow waited for Mother to reply but the connection was still. "Mother?" she asked, breaking the silence.

"I'm here child. I heard you. Go to your sister. I'll contact you later. Go now."

* * *

"Beryl."

"Yes, Mother?"

"Evacuate all of the gems. Go to the ringed planet and wait for me - we must move out of the reach of the Earthlings. They'll just complicate things. I will contact you when I'm ready. Oh, first get rid of that probe the Earthlings put in orbit while you're at it. It's starting to annoy me."

"Yes, Mother, as you will."

Mother returned to her seat. _This is getting tiresome, old man. Can't you leave us in peace? Why do you hound us so? You go too far - we need to end this._

She waited for a second then reached out again. "Rose. I must speak with you."

Steven jolted. That voice! "Mother?"

Garnet shot up, summoning her gauntlets and looking around. "Steven? What's going on."

"It's Mother, Garnet, she's talking to me. It's like dream talking but I'm awake. Mother?"

"Rose, you must take care. Our old enemy has found my children. I fear they may be coming for me as well. If they do, your friends are not safe. They shatter all gems indiscriminately. They will show you no mercy. Be on your guard. The organics are safe, they have no interest in them. As for you, I have no idea - but you must assume the worse. Protect yourself and protect your friend. You mustn't die."

The voice disappeared as abruptly as it had appeared. Steven looked at his friends, his eyes wide. He then stood and began to scowl. "Garnet, is that safe area ready?" She nodded. "Go there. Take Connie and the rest and wait for me. I'll join you soon." He bellowed. "Lion! I need you! We are in danger. Come to me now!"

"Steven! What's going on?" Connie cried out. "I'm not going anywhere without you!"

Steven turned and snapped. "Garnet! Do what I told you. We don't have time to discuss this. Protect Connie. Go! Now!"

" ** _Steven!_** Don't you dare! I will never forgive you for this! I am not leaving! Stay back Garnet - I am not going anywhere! Steven! Think about what you're saying!"

Steven turned to Connie then lowered his eyes. "Connie, I can't risk this. I need you, and I can't lose you, but I'm not the only one. If I'm right, you are needed for Pearl and all gems. You must be kept safe."

"You must be kept safe too! We can't lose you either! **_I_** can't lose you. White Diamond be damned! You are too important to **_me!_** If you're not going into the safe room, then neither am I! My place is by your side, Steven! My purpose is to protect you! I will fight you at every turn if you follow through on this!"

Steven turned away then spoke softly. "Okay. Garnet - never mind. Connie's right.

"We need food for the safe room anyway. I have some food in Lion's mane for us, but it won't last. Um, Garnet? Did you put a bathroom in the safe room?"

"Yes, Steven. My future vision was very clear on that. There are beds, too."

"Good. When lion gets he ..."

"Steven, hold on. Peridot - take two steps to your left."

Peridot stepped to the side as Lion emerged from his portal where'd she'd been standing.

"Wow, thanks Garnet!"

"Don't mention it."

"Lion. Take me and Peridot to the barn. Get what you need, Peri, and be quick about it. We'll put it in Lion's mane. I'm hoping there's nothing going on, but I don't want to take any chances. There are humans about, so be on the look out for them as well."

Connie started to object but Steven quickly cut her off. "Connie, you too. We'll go as Stevonnie, okay?" She tried to hide her smile as she nodded in agreement.

Steven and Connie touched foreheads and Stevonnie leapt up on Lion's back. Lion grabbed Peridot by the neck and flung her on his back. She cried out as he opened a fresh portal and stepped through.


	55. Andy

"Suitcase" Sam chewed on a stalk of grass as he looked through his binoculars. The barn site had been quiet ever since Steven and the other gems departed for Florida Island. A team had been moved in to investigate and it seemed deserted. There were odd looking constructions scattered here and there - a stack of toilets, a pile of dirt with a leaf - and loads of junk.

They watched and waited, just in case. An aircraft landed a few days later and the pilot was immediately taken into custody.

* * *

_"Mr. DeMayo. That's your name, right?"_

"Yeah. That's my name. How do you know that?"

_"Your pilot's certification."_

"Oh, right. You know who I am now. So I'll just be leaving."

_"Not so fast. We have some questions for you."_

" _You_ have questions? You come running up, pull me out of my plane, put me in jail and _you_ have questions? I got a few of my own, pal."

_"You're not in jail, this is ..."_

"Looks like jail to me. I'll just be leaving then since this isn't a jail."

_"Look, Andy is it? We've gotten off to the wrong start here."_

"You're telling me!"

_"Andy. You follow the news, right?"_

"Yeah. I do. I read the internets too. I know all about you guys."

_"Oh? What do you know?"_

"I know about that whole gem invasion thing. And about the nukes at the China site. Oh yeah - I got _your_ number."

_"Andy, I think you've been misinformed. There's been no 'invasion'. There have been gems on this planet, sure, but no one came to Earth to do anything."_

"I believe that. Like I believe I have a hole in my head."

_"And there weren't any 'nukes' in China or anywhere else. That's just a bunch of nonsense that's going around the web."_

"Sure, pal. It's nonsense. You keep telling yourself that."

_"We are just wondering why you flew to the barn site."_

"It's my property. I have a right to land there whenever I want."

_"Your property? I thought it belonged to Greg Universe."_

"Who? I don't know any Universeses. That is my property."

_"Andy, we know about the gems that where staying at the barn. What is your association with them?"_

"Gems? You mean the hippies? With their jewels and weird clothes? They were squatters. A bunch of hobettes - I ran them off."

_"Don't be coy with us. Look at this photograph. You're sitting at a table having a meal with Greg Universe and the DMV gems."_

"Wha ...? Where'd you get that? It's obviously a fake. You can do that on the internets, you don't fool me. You put my face in that photo. I don't know nuthin' about any of this."

_"What about your flight to Korea?"_

"Yeah, I've been to Korea. I've been all over the place."

_"Why did you fly Greg and Steven there?"_

"Oh, you have another faked photograph. Oh, I'm _sooo_ impressed. You try flying across the Pacific in a bi-plane with passengers in the rear seat. Ain't easy and I ain't never done it. Any more photos junior?"

* * *

The interview didn't reveal anything useful. Mr. DeMayo was as stubborn as anyone he'd ever met. They eventually let him leave and he departed in his plane. Now Sam and his protégé sat in a car keeping a eye on an empty barn.

An alarm in the car sounded, indicating gem activity was occurring. He turned back to the barn and noticed Lion walking about.

"Hey," he called as he jabbed his passenger. "It's that lion and subject five. What are they doing here?"

The young man next to him took the binoculars and focused in. "Yeah, the peridot. Looks like she's looking around for something."

Sam reached into his pocket. "I'm going to call this in. You get closer - see if you can figure out what they're doing up there."

He joined his partner a few minutes later and lay down to him. "So? Anything?"

"Yeah. Stevonnie's with them. I think they are putting stuff inside the lion's mane."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Just that. Look - see? She just entered the mane with that box. Wait a second and she'll come back out. See? There she is again."

Sam stared dumbfounded through his binoculars. This was new. They waited until the two gems mounted the lion and departed. He pondered these events then turned to his partner.

"We need to know what's going on inside the house. I know it's not protocol, but I want you to go up and knock on the door. They know you - maybe they'll talk to you."

His friend chuckled to himself. _Oh, they know me. This should be interesting._


	56. Brother Klatos

"Brother Klatos. I trust you're well." The young acolyte bowed deeply, further and longer than politeness required. Bother Klatos had made a name for himself within the Order. Even now, with his elevated rank, he participated in the duties normally the exclusive province of the probationary monks. He said he had no justification asking them to do work he wouldn't do himself.

He was seen as a fraud and a pretender for many years. No one understood his motives and they all assumed the worse. And why not? Those in high places - and those who aspired to join them - were always guilty of the worst. He persevered, did what he believed was right and won over even his most skeptical critics. His work with the least members in society was so far beyond reproach no one could rightly condemn him.

"I am well brother. I trust the same is true for you?"

"Yes brother. I am well. I have been sent with a summons. The abbot wishes to speak with you."

"Ah, of course. Please tell his eminence I will come to him when I'm finished with my duties."

The young monk smiled to himself. No other monk would dare delay responding to a summons in this way. Yet, there was nothing that could be said. Brother Klatos bowed and continued down the alleyway. Cutthroats and thieves, beggars and madmen, everyone came to him. He received them all, applying healing herbs and took confessions, offering absolution without condemnation. He fed the hungry and clothed the naked. He ministered to those most deserving of mercy yet the last to receive it.

He arrived at the Abbot's cell once he was finished helping to clean up after the evening meal. He knocked politely then waited, entering only when beckoned. The space was as small and modest as all the others. It was the only symbol of humility the abbot was obligated to observe. And the only one he did.

"Your eminence." He bowed as the abbot rose to meet him.

"Brother. I'm pleased you came. We need to talk."

"Of course, abbot. How can I be of service?"

"Ah, not this time. Today I am of service to you." Klatos raised an eye covering. "You've been selected as a special envoy to the royal court. You are to meet with Bishop Danos."

Klatos demurred. "Certainly not, your eminence. Surely there are others more worthy."

"Worthy? Only politically. Sponsorship has its privileges, no doubt. But none are as qualified, or as deserving, as yourself. You are a rare one, Klatos - the first in many generations to take the rules of the Order to heart. Present company included. I forgot a long time ago why I came here. I owe you a debt of gratitude for reminding me of the true path."

"No. I must decline. My place is here. I do far more for the Order ministering to the least than I ever could at the royal court."

"I told the Council as much. They weren't swayed. You are to report to the court 'at your earliest convenience'. And knowing you, I've made that decision for you. You are to turn your duties over to other monks and report to the court by the end of the current cycle."

"But your eminence, I ..."

"You have no say in this, I afraid. You took the Life Oath - you are committed to serving the Order as long as you take breath. And you are obligated to follow the dictates of the Council. I'm sorry Klatos, but your time here is done. Make the necessary arrangements. I will sponsor your departure ceremony."

* * *

Brother Klatos approached the gates to the royal residence. _It's been a long time. I'd hoped to never return to this place._

He entered the courtyard and waited. He was familiar with the protocol and he had no wish to draw attention to himself. He'd wait until he was acknowledged. It didn't take long. Bishop Danos exited the chapel and came over to greet him.

"Brother Klatos. You're reputation precedes you. Welcome, I trust you are well."

He bowed deeply. "I am well Bishop. I trust the same is true for you." Unlike with the young acolyte, it wasn't a question. He didn't care. This was just a formal greeting among members of the Order.

"Yes brother, I am well. Now stand. Let me look at you." He stared for a long time. "You seem familiar to me. Have we met?"

"No, Bishop, I'm afraid we have not." It was a rare lie, but he felt justified in saying it. It was either lie or lose his scales. He preferred the former.

He was given a brief tour then escorted to the clerical barracks. "We'll talk again later brother. For now I leave you in Brother Kannos' capable hands."

"Brother Klatos. I trust you are well."

"I am well brother. I trust the same is true for you?"

"Yes brother, I am well. Now, let's get you situated. Another Klatos - your namesake is ridiculously common. You're the only Brother Klatos at least, so we won't have a problem figuring out which one you are."

Klatos smiled. _At least they won't be calling me "Klatos, the Least."_ He allowed Brother Kannos to lead him forward as the first wave of bombers arrived.


	57. House Guest

Garnet looked at Steven for a long time, but it was Connie that noticed. "Garnet? Is something wrong."

Garnet turned away with a short "No." She took a look around and seemed to consider. "Steven, it's time to straighten up. I know Pearl always helped you with that but she's not here now, so you need to start picking up after yourself."

"Oh! She got you now, Steven!" Amethyst cried, laughing at Steven's expression.

"That includes you too, Amethyst."

 _"What!"_ She looked up. "Me? Have you seen my room? I like it like this!"

"I know Amethyst but Steven isn't you and we need to keep this place clean. He's human, after all - we can't let him get sick."

"I'll help, Garnet. I mean, some of this is my mess too." Connie said as she grabbed a broom.

"Thank you, Connie. Steven? Let's go."

Steven looked around. The place really was a mess now that Pearl wasn't around to keep up with this stuff.

"Okay, I'll get started in the loft."

"No games, Steven. I see many future avoidances. I hope none of them come about."

Steven scrunched his face and nodded in agreement. Steven began to pick up his room as Connie swept the bottom floor. Peridot piped up. "I'll take care of the thinking chamber. It seems to have lost its citrus scent. It's a bit more earthy now."

Connie looked confused and Amethyst leaned in and whispered. "That's what she calls the bathroom." Connie snickered and walked over.

"Do you know how to clean the, um, 'think chamber' Peri?" she asked, struggling not to laugh.

"Um, yeah. Of course. I'm a peridot after all. But, um, you can always help. You know, if you want to."

"Sure, sure. We can compare notes," Connie answered as she went into the kitchen to get the cleaning supplies.

"What is that? Are those weapons?" Peridot asked, a look of suspicion on her face as she eyed the toilet brush and gloves.

Connie bit her lip and shook her head. "No, they're cleaning supplies. Maybe we can make use of them."

They went in the bathroom and set about their task as Garnet and Lapis attended to the living room. Amethyst shape shifted into a vacuum cleaner and consumed the debris she picked up. Lapis' ability to manipulate water came in handy and the three of them had the place straightened up in short order.

"Steven, I'll do the laundry. You should change clothes. You stay here. It's safer."

Steven nodded and straightened up the last of the clutter, putting everything in its place.

Connie and Peridot emerged from the bathroom a bit later, with Connie supporting the little gem who seemed unsteady on her feet.

"I always knew what that room was for, but I had no idea the extent of what that implied. Steven, how could you!"

Steven looked confused and a little annoyed. Connie just shook her head and he let it go.

* * *

Connie's mom came by later with some food and she helped her daughter prepare a meal for her and Steven. The meal was pleasant enough, if not very talkative, and she departed once the cleanup was finished, giving Connie a hug and a kiss while firing off warning shots at Steven. Steven just gulped.

Afterwards, Steven and Connie were playing a board game when Steven finally had to ask.

"Garnet, I know we needed to clean up and all, but there's something else, isn't there."

The stoic gem nodded. "Yes, Steven. We're going to have a visitor soon. I can see no future where that doesn't happen. I figured we should get ready for our guest."

Connie looked up. "Really? Who?"

Garnet just stood silent for a few minutes. "I'm sorry, but the best thing I can see to do is to just let you find out for yourselves."

Steven gave Garnet a confused look when there was knock at the door. He walked over and opened the door then stammered.

"Kevin?"


	58. Kevin

"Kevin?"

Steven startled as Connie jumped up. "What are you doing here? Garnet, what's going on? Why didn't you tell us Kevin was the one coming over!?!"

"Because, Steven, my future vision told me you'd almost certainly refuse to meet with him."

"No kidding!" Connie exclaimed. "There's no way we'd have anything to say to him."

"I know, and that's the problem. No matter how far out I looked, most paths lead to a very bad outcome if you didn't talk to him. It would, how do you put it Kevin? Go south?"

"Well I can't say, future lady, as I haven't said it yet, but sure. I probably would put it that way. So, you going to let me in or what?" He smirked as he walked in without waiting for an invitation.

Steven fumed and Connie drew into herself.

"Fine, Kevin" Steven finally said, "You're already inside anyway. Make yourself comfortable." Steven spoke the last part with open venom.

"So why are you here?" Connie asked, looking at Garnet. "You're not who you've been pretending to be, are you?"

"Well, yes and no. I'm pretty much who I am but the whole spoiled rich kid routine was just a fiction. I've been assigned to keep an eye on you and your lady friends."

"By who?" Steven's curiosity began to get the better of him.

"Oh, just some folks. Gov'ment types," he added with affected accent. "We've been watching you for a long time. I was brought onto the team a few months before the whole Stevonnie thing. That really caught the attention of some very important people. My handler made a snap decision and had me go to that rave party to find out what I could. I fit in and all. I have to thank you - it was my first op by myself in the field."

He seemed to think of something. "Oh, how did Ronaldo make out with that chick he met at the dance? Jayne, right?"

"What do you care," Connie snapped, annoyed.

Kevin gave a very convincing hurt look but neither of them were fooled.

"You wound me. I was hoping they hit it off. I hope no one got in the way and caused any problems for them." He gave Steven a knowing smile.

"What do you want, Kevin. Just get to it."

"Sure, sure. I don't want to be a bother or anything. So here it is." He abruptly dropped his facade and took an unexpected serious tone. "What is going on? You go to Florida, then to the moon then you come back. You know we're at war with gems, so why are you here? Are you a threat or something? Do we need to be worried about you?"

Steven scowled. "How do you know that."

Kevin waved his hand as if to dismiss the question. "Look, kid. This whole Beach City Bad Boy routine has been fun, but it's past time for games. I don't think you understand what you're up against. So let me spell it out."

Kevin's tone seemed angry but his demeanor betrayed him. He was worried.

"We have gems, big, nasty, powerful gems come to Earth, start drilling and killing our envoy. The next th..."

Steven jerked. "What do you mean 'killing your envoy'? What is that about?"

"You don't know? Yeah, we sent some people, good people Steven, to try and establish a dialog with the gems and they just disintegrated them without so much as a howdy do. That's when we decided to take the offense. We nuked the diamond ships but I guess we missed the big girls, didn't we?"

Steven looked at Connie, the color draining from his face. "Connie - that's why ..."

Garnet answered. "Yes, Steven. That's why Spinel acted the way she did."

Steven slumped under the weight of a fresh revelation of death and destruction. _This has to stop. I have to stop this somehow._

"So, yeah," Kevin continued. "The gems all leave and we take a big sigh of relief. And now here you are. Why? Why shouldn't we wipe this place off the map too, Steven?"

Kevin stood, agitated. "Look, you don't know this, but I am the only reason we haven't sent in a kill team. I vouched for the two of you. I've been watching you for a long time and I'm convinced you're not the bad guys. But I'm about the only one, Steven. There are some very unpleasant people I work with you think you are.

"Am I wrong, Steven? Should we be afraid of you? Or what? What's going on? Why are you here?"

Steven looked at Connie then to Garnet. "This is what you saw, isn't it?"

She nodded. "And not just the two of you, either. Right Kevin?"

He nodded as well. "Yeah. Your dad, her parents, hell this whole town. People are scared, Steven. They're facing the extinction of all of humanity and they'll gladly sacrifice you and anyone else they can think of if they believe it will prevent that from happening."

"So. Steven. Listen to me. I'm begging. I'm literally _begging_ you. Do you understand? I actually like you two, believe it or not. My instinct tells me you aren't the enemy, but I'm practically the only one who believes that. You need to give me something to take back. Please."

Steven and Connie looked at each other and came to the same decision.

"Settle in, then. It's a long story."


	59. Lord Klatos

_Lord Klatos. Why are you here?_

Klatos' head hurt. He tried to move but realized he was pinned down.

"Brother Klatos! There you are! Are you okay?" Brother Kannos called to him, but his voice sounded muffled. Klatos shook his head in an effort to clear the cobwebs.

"Kannos, what happened!" He called out as he felt around. Rubble was all around him. He tried to move but a large beam pinned one of his legs.

"We were attacked. Are you hurt?" Kannos answered from the other side of the debris.

"Yes. I'm trapped by something. I can't find any leverage to move it."

"Well hold on. We've located you and we're going to pull away the rubble. It'll be awhile but not too long. Just hang on."

Klatos slumped back. The space he was in was dark. Only a few rays of light penetrated into the space. The pain in his leg was intense but there was nothing he could do but wait. He recalled his training and calmed his mind.

_Lord Klatos. Why are you here?_

It was that voice again. Who was that? Perhaps he was hallucinating from the pain. But no, it seemed too real for that.

"Who are you? Where are you?"

_I am here, Lord Klatos. You summoned me. Why are you here?_

"I don't understand - I was assigned to the court."

_Why are you here, Lord Klatos? What do you want?_

"I ... I want to reclaim my name. I want to reclaim my status." Klatos was startled by this admission. He'd convinced himself his past was dead in the desert and he was a new Cryptid. All that was over with. Or so he thought.

_Does The Least have any claim to his name? Does The Least have status?_

" _Yes!_ Yes - I am _not_ less than any in this clan. I am the First. I am the Greatest! Why must I die because of an accident of birth!"

_These are the old ways, Lord Klatos. You are Klatos the Least, the fulfillment of prophecy. The Prophecy of The Least. Danos knows. He can tell you. Why are you here?_

Klatos didn't answer. He didn't know. It took several hours, but soon the rubble around him was withdrawn and a crew freed his leg. He was taken to the infirmary where he finally passed out from the pain and the drugs administered to lessen it.

* * *

"Brother Klatos, you survived. We weren't sure. You were lucky." Bishop Danos sat next to him in the small room, speaking as Klatos began to regain consciousness. "You've been mumbling in your slumber. Very strange things. Tell me what happened."

"I heard a voice," Klatos answered. Danos tried to suppress any reaction at hearing that, but Klatos noticed. "What was that, Danos?"

"You were hallucinating, Klatos. That is all."

"Don't patronize me, Bishop. I know what I heard. What was that? And what is the Prophecy of The Least? What does that have to do with me?"

Danos stood, visibly angry and fearful in equal measure. "How do you know of that!"

"The voice told me. It said I was the fulfillment of prophecy - the Prophecy of The Least. It said you'd know what that was."

"I _knew_ I'd seen you before! You're Klatos the Least! But you're dead!"

"No, I'm not. I'm very much alive." Klatos was becoming angry. "You sent me to die in that desert, old man, but I survived. I thrived. I made a new life for myself. I never wanted to return to this wicked place! Yet here I am. So answer my questions. What is this prophecy and what does it have to do with me!"

Danos lost his color and fell back into this chair, his legs no longer able to support him.

"It can't be. You? The Least?"


	60. Rescue

Yellow Diamond's ship approached the outer reaches of Blue Diamond's home system, cloaking itself as it entered normal space.

"Pearl, what do your scanners show?"

The gem worked the control panel and scrutinized the data. "There are several unknown ships scattered around the system. They are too far away to be certain, but it looks like the enemy."

"We must assume they are," Zircon said, interjecting herself into the conversation. "It is very likely there are attack ships hidden in the magnetic fields of the gas giants as well. I'd expect to find a few in the corona of the central star for that matter."

"Sapphire?" Yellow Diamond turned to the small, blue gem. "What do you see?"

"I concur with Zircon. Any direct assault will be falling into their traps. They are well positioned. We must proceed with caution."

"Can they detect us cloaked?"

"Yes. Not well, but well enough."

Yellow Diamond scowled. She was a gem of action, unlike her sister, and she was in her element now. "Bring me White's jasper. We need to find out where they have Blue's beloved."

* * *

Blue Diamond paced her chamber then stopped as she heard her sister's voice.

"Blue, I'm here in your system. I can't approach directly as the enemy lies in ambush. We are making arrangements. I'll come to you as soon as I can."

Blue Diamond took on a look of hope for the first time since her pearl was taken. "Thank you sister! I've been so scared Yellow. You've given me hope again!"

"What happened Blue? How did they capture your pearl? Tell me what you know."

"Oh, Yellow, it's all my fault! We had reports of suspicious activity in some of the outer planets and Pearl was traveling to my ship to update them in person with what we knew. A ship suddenly appeared - they can cloak now Yellow! The ship appeared and captured her shuttle. Zircon says it was an accident that they captured Pearl and that she wasn't the target, but that doesn't matter Yellow. They have her and I want her back."

"And you'll have her. I swear, Blue - you'll have her and we'll deal with those vile creatures for daring such an act."

* * *

A small craft departed from the rear of Yellow Diamond's ship. A jasper from White Diamond's personal guard was its sole occupant as it traveled to a likely site. The gravity drive was a dead give away of her presence but it couldn't be helped. Sub light speeds were too slow. She exited into normal space then immediately cloaked as she changed velocity to intercept the gas giant. Its magnetic field would bolster her invisibility. Hopefully the enemy would assume she was heading to Blue Diamond's court. They would waste resources looking for her there.

She cut her engine and relied on orbital mechanics to insert her into orbit about the massive planet. She fired her nav thrusters in brief bursts and took up an orbit as part the inner ring of the planet. Not nearly as spectacular as the rings around the planet in Pink Diamond's system, it was enough to camouflage her presence.

She sent a short burst comm message updating her status then began to scan the planet. Yellow Diamond's zircon was right - there was a company of ships in low orbit. This was the likeliest place to find the missing pearl. She watched and waited for the right moment to move in.

It didn't take long. She intercepted a message between ships. They spoke of their captives - a couple of rubies and a pearl. She fired off another comm burst then made her plans. Jaspers weren't known for their patience. They were the elite warriors of gem kind and White Diamond's jaspers were without peer. She waited for two more shuttles of her compatriots to arrive then they moved in.

Two of the ships took position and one dropped her cloak. Not long, just enough to look like an accident. Three ships left the enemy formation and approached the jaspers' location. They were taken out quickly and efficiently with as big a show as they could muster. More ships approached and a battle was engaged.

A third ship used the distraction to approach the vessel holding the gems. She connected and blew open a hole in the side of the ship. Unlike the crew on board, she didn't need an atmosphere and immediately adjusted for variable gravity. She sent her obsidians ahead, given them free rein to wreak havoc among the enemy.

She quickly located the captured gems, poofed them and collected their stones. Such behavior was considered crude among the elite gems, but the jasper didn't care. It was much easier to travel by herself than with the company of lesser gems. It was a quick op and she returned to Yellow Diamond's ship even as her compatriots mopped up the last of the enemy fighters.

* * *

Is it done?

_Yes, my lord. It went as you said. They have the gems on board the yellow ship._

Good. Proceed as you've been instructed. Bring me the diamond.


	61. Prophecy of The Least

"The Prophecy of The Least. It's old, Klatos, part of the Hidden Canon. There's no way you could know of it. Only the bishops attached to the clans know of it. My predecessor never spoke of it except to me and I've mentioned it to no one. So how _do_ you know of it?"

Klatos sat up, wincing from the pain. "I told you bishop - I heard a voice and it said to ask you."

Danos paced for a few seconds, lost in thought. He seemed to come to a decision. He abruptly left the room only to return a few minutes later with a wheelchair and an orderly.

"Help him into the chair," he instructed. Klatos found himself lifted by strong arms and placed in the chair as if he was a small child. The orderly stood behind him and wheeled him forward, following Danos as he led the way.

They traveled deep into the interior of the palace. Klatos looked about as they traveled, appalled at the devastation. "What happened here, Danos? Why were we attacked."

"I don't know. That is the providence of the parliament and the war council. Whatever the reason, we were given no warning, I can say that much."

"And my father? What of him?"

Danos seemed hesitant to answer. "Your father is dead, Klatos, as is the rest of your family. You are no longer The Least Klatos, you are now The Only. Another fulfillment of prophecy, one that no one understood until this morning. And only by me."

Klatos was not surprised by his lack of emotion of learning this news. His family had been dead to him for many years. They finally came to a small, nondescript door in a rarely used hallway. Danos turned to the orderly and dismissed him.

"That will be all. I'll take it from here. Return to your duties. Speak to no one of this." The orderly bowed and turned back the way they'd come.

Klatos removed a key from a hidden key ring and turned it in the lock. The door swung open and Danos wheeled Klatos through it. He secured the door then wheeled Klatos down a long hallway lit by small light panels that brightened as they approached and darkened as they passed. They eventually found their way to a circular room containing a number of books and scrolls, all ancient by the look of them.

Danos went over to a cubby with several scrolls, selected one and handed it to Klatos. He unrolled it and looked at the strange script.

"What does it say?"

Danos smirked. "No one knows, Klatos. I mean, we can no longer read the old script, but it's meaning has been preserved, if not its words.

"It speaks of The Least who returns from the desert as The Only during a time of warfare and strife. The commentary in the scroll accompanying the prophecy is what established the law of The Least, the law that condemned you to the desert. We've always understood the prophecy's meaning when it referred to The Least as a result, but no one understood the reference to The Only. Until today, that is."

Klatos was confused. "But why me?"

"I don't know," Danos answered. "You've always been clever and wise beyond your years. I felt your sacrifice to the desert was a waste of talent, but I obeyed the dictates of the prophecy. I never thought that doing so would bring about its fulfillment.

"You are now _Lord_ Klatos, leader of your clan and the only surviving member of the royal court. The prophecy is cryptic with many of its predictions lost to time, but its core meaning is clear. You - and you alone - are the only chance we have to survive. This unknown enemy has our total annihilation as its singular goal. You are our bulwark against total genocide.

"But I'm a member of the Order, I can't abandon those duties. I'm bound by oath!"

"Normally, no. But the council is comprised of clan bishops and we all know of this prophecy. I will inform them of who you are. They will grant you a special dispensation releasing you."

"And the parliament? The war council? What of them?"

"Leave that to me. Your place at the head of the clan is secure. I'll see to it, Lord Klatos."


	62. Rose

"So," Kevin said, struggling to understand what he'd just heard.

"You _are_ Rose Quartz then, but only sorta? Is she still alive? Or whatever you'd call it?"

"I used to think she ... died. Her - what Garnet? Programming?" Garnet nodded, acknowledging the characterization. "Her programming was written over or something when I was born. I don't know. I thought that for a long time, you know? But I don't think that's right any more."

Garnet and Connie looked at him. "Steven?"

"I can't prove it and maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think she's gone. She's silent."

He stood, his brow creased in thought. "Lapis. Tell Connie what you told me about the mirror."

Lapis scowled. The mirror was a very unpleasant memory for her. She tried not to think about it, but it was hard not too. And now Steven was asking her to talk openly about it. She turned to Connie and her eyes began to shimmer like twin mirrors. Her voice became hollow and her hair began to float about her.

"I came to Earth to report back to home world what the status of the colony was. We'd heard reports of the rebellion and I was sent to see what was happening. It was supposed to be a short visit but I was attacked by Rose's Bismuth. She was a brutal gem, striking me in my gem and forcing me to poof. She tried to shatter me but missed hitting the critical point." Steven looked down, remembering how Bismuth has told him as much once.

Her brow creased in anger as she continued. "I was found before I could reform and put in a mirror. The home world gems were angry and afraid. They asked questions I couldn't answer and I couldn't speak to tell them I wasn't part of the rebellion. All I could do was put images in the glass. I was abandoned when the gems departed in a panic after Pink Diamond was shattered. My gem was trampled as they fled, damaging it."

Her voice was bitter as the hurt and anger she felt spilled out. "I was left behind, abandoned and ignored by everyone. I could see the sky, and sometimes even my home galaxy, but I was trapped, unable to free myself. Pearl found me but did nothing to try and release me. I remained trapped in that foul thing for thousands of years."

Steven grimaced. He'd forgotten how badly that experience was for her. Lapis slowly regained her normal appearance, but the emotions the memory evoked remained etched on her face. Garnet averted her gaze.

"Uh, thanks Lapis," he said in a clumsy attempt at an apology.

Connie looked at Lapis with moist eyes. "Oh, Lapis," she said, wiping a tear. Lapis just turned away and withdrew into herself. Peridot sat next to her and took one of her hands.

"Yeah, so anyway, Lapis wasn't dead in that mirror, she just couldn't act. She couldn't speak. I was the one that let her out. I was just having a good time and wasn't interrogating her or insisting she show me anything. I think that's why she reached out to me like she did."

Lapis remained still, not acknowledging Steven's statement.

"She eventually got me to understand she wanted out of the mirror. It was different that time. Before that she used what she saw to talk to me, but in the end she showed me something new." Steven seemed lost in thought almost as if he were alone in the room.

"So, I don't know. If mom's programming was written over, what was it written over with? Dad? And I know her gem still works - it opens the door to her room for me and it's where I get my powers from. And it helps me when I need it. So, yeah, I think mom is still in her gem but she can't talk or anything."

Kevin waited while Steven finished his ruminations.

"And the diamonds, Steven? Are they coming back?"

"I don't know Kevin. I'd tell you if I could. The diamond I met - the one called Mother ... well, she was very different from all the other gems. She took care of me and Connie. She ... I don't know. I think she values life. Like my mom did. Does ... whatever. They're fighting a war with someone and I think they found her. So, I think they're going to be caught up with them or something."

Kevin looked at Steven then turned to Garnet. "So, future lady, what do you have to say?"

"I can't say anything, Kevin. The future is clouded. I can only see possibilities. Sometimes I can be sure of something - like that it was important you and Steven spoke. Other times the possibilities are so varied I can't determine anything. This is one of those times. We're safe for now, but I don't know how long."

"Will you tell me if you figure it out?"

Garnet thought about that. She'd never interacted with a human before, apart from Seamus anyway. But that was different.

"Yes."

"Okay, fair enough. Here's my personal number. Call me if you learn anything. Steven, do yourself a favor - stay here. If you're seen out and about, even at the barn, I can't say what will happen. I'll do my best to work a deal with my superiors to leave you alone if you agree."

Steven nodded and entered the number on his phone. Connie did the same thing. "Okay. But my dad or Connie's parents will want to visit and bring food and stuff."

Kevin nodded as he walked out the door.

Steven turned to Connie and looked at her for a second. He held out his hand as his gem glowed and Rose's door opened. "We need to talk."


	63. Retribution

"My lord," the Cryptid spoke as he bowed. "We will not survive this enemy. The fourth planetary quadrant is already a wasteland. There's no life remaining there. It's a matter of time before they destroy it all."

Klatos looked out the view screen of his ship. His clan, his species, his _planet_ was facing a merciless onslaught from an unknown and unresponsive enemy. _Who are they?_ No one knew. _Why are they attacking us?_ No one knew. _What do they want?_

That, at least, was easy to answer. They were intent on destroying his kind, wiping them out. Klatos had long quit asking the other questions. What did it matter who or why? All that mattered was survival. He had hardened his heart to anything else. Kindly Brother Klatos was a distant memory. Lord Klatos stood in his place.

He pondered this news. He wasn't surprised. The enemy had pursued them, hounded them and crushed them under an unbearable weight. The war was glorious at first. They were a proud and warlike race - they relished an enemy as worthy as this. War banners flew proudly and warriors went to their deaths with smiles on their faces.

But it quickly became clear this enemy wasn't like any they'd ever faced before. Their attacks were cruel and brutal. They never took prisoners and they displayed the corpses of their vanquished like macabre trophies. They beat the Cryptids back at every turn.

And not once did they explain themselves. They never demanded anything and they never responded to pleas of surrender. No one was spared. Nothing was sacred. Relentlessly, inexorably, they pursued their war of genocide with a singular focus.

Klatos alone realized what they were up against. The other clans took up the battle with reckless abandon, complacent in their supposed invincibility, but Klatos knew better. The enemy's weapons were more powerful, their tactics deployed with a ruthless efficiency they'd never known before.

He understood they could not prevail - they had been caught unaware and unprepared. Their planetary defenses were smashed in mere days, their battle fleet obliterated shortly after. Day after day, month after month, year after bloody year, they were pushed closer to their ultimate fate.

Klatos was finally able to rally his own forces and convinced the war councils of the other clans to band together under his leadership. He took up the tactics of his enemy and devised novel tactics of his own. He was determined to survive this enemy and day by day the old Klatos disappeared. A new Klatos stood his his place. He became the only hope his people had for survival. 

He would do what ever it took. He would pay any price. He would prevail. And he would exact a terrible vengeance.

* * *

He turned to address the Cryptid still bowing before him. "It is time - we must abandon our home. The mothership, is it ready?"

"No, my lord" the Cryptid answered.

Klatos erupted with a fury that had become his most defining feature. He struck out at the Cryptid, knocking him to the floor. "No - It's been long enough! _Too_ long! I'll deal with this myself." He pulled his cloak about him and walked to his transport pad, a tech he had stolen from the enemy. It was one of the few things that had preserved his species from extinction. That and his sheer will to survive.

He appeared on the deck of the mothership and approached the commander. He drew his sidearm as the Cryptid turned to greet him, killing him on the spot. The stench of blood and scorched flesh filled the room as he turned to the second in command and grabbed his coat by the collar.

"You have one week." He shoved the Cryptid away, turned and returned to the transport pad. He looked over his shoulder before activating the pad. "The enemy is upon us. We are out of time. If you don't get this ship ready to go, I won't be the one to kill you - they will do it for me." He waved a hand and returned to his command ship.

* * *

"Our home has been destroyed Lord Klatos," Danos said as the mothership traveled out towards the stars. "We survive only because of you."

Klatos looked at the old bishop. "My home was taken from me long before this, Danos. You saw to that," he snapped with a hint of snarl.

"Yes, my lord. I did as the ancient prophecy said I must. You can see for yourself - it was needed. It preserved you, prepared you, taught you. And without you, we would have perished."

"Don't hand me that old man. I am no pawn of some dusty old prophecy. I would have done what I did had I remained at the palace."

"As you say, my lord, but I know better."

Klatos glowered. "I don't know why I let you live. You're little more than an irritant anymore."

"Yes, my lord."

Klatos dismissed the old Cryptid with a wave of his hand as he withdrew into his own thoughts. He considered the future. They did not know who this vicious enemy was, but he now knew where they lived. His scouts were finally able to track a ship back to its home planet.

He'd sought advice from his generals. They all agreed - leave this fearsome enemy alone. The parliament concurred. They were safe now.

Klatos didn't agree. Neither did the voice. They could not continue to run - they would be found and destroyed no matter where they went. The voice pressed him, urged him. _Why are you here, Lord Klatos? Will you watch as the last of your kind is destroyed? Shall they collect your scales?_

No, that would not happen. He agreed with this mysterious advisor. The enemy would seek them out. For reasons unfathomable to Klatos, it was his kind the enemy sought to eradicate, not just their home. They would seek them out and they would find them. Running wasn't an option.

He walked onto the command deck of the ship. He'd made his decision. "We're taking the fight to them. I will destroy each and every one of them. By my own hand if need be. You have the coordinates. Flank speed."

* * *

Their attack went better than even Klatos had imagined. The enemy was complacent, thinking they had him on the run. It was just a matter of time before they found him and destroyed him. Instead, he reset the scale. He would not fight them on their terms, they would fight him on his.

The attack was well coordinated and brilliantly planed. The planet's defenses were destroyed by one raiding party as the bulk of the home fleet was blasted by another. Fuel depots and refinement plants were hit in the second wave even as the main battle fleet of the enemy was engaged.

Klatos understood one thing clearly. This was all or nothing. Either they defeated this enemy this day or they perished. There was no middle ground. If the enemy weren't destroyed, they'd retaliate and finished what they started on their lost home.

Wave after wave pounded the space fleet, destroying them one by one, until the planet was defenseless. He sent in the ground fleets, waging a war of absolute devastation. He no longer cared about justice or defense. This was a war of annihilation, one the enemy started but one he would finish. The order was given. No one survives. No one.

The enemy fought back and for a time held their own, but Klatos was unremitting. He pounded them non stop around the clock until they were forced back to their final fortifications. And still he pounded them, taking out one defensive fortification after another.

The end drew near. Klatos watched with unforgiving eyes as the last of the enemy was destroyed. He landed his craft, preparing to personally destroy the remaining holdouts. Scientists, he was told. He fired his blaster, killing the last of them when the word came in. A massive ship, a generation ship he was told later, had escaped his fleet. A single ship with the last of the enemy on board.

"Let them be," he was told. "They can't possibly harm us now" was the advice. "We must see to our own!"

He relented. The enemy took a toll on his people and they were in dire need of healing. But he did not forget. He immediately sent scout ships to locate and track this ship. He would have them, of that he was certain. He would not stop until he did.


	64. Escape

"What happened," Blue Pearl asked once she reformed. She looked around the ship headed toward Yellow Diamond.

"Jasper?" Her eyes widened as she realized what she was seeing. "Wait! Did you poof me? Stop! Go back - this is a trap!"

The large pale gem looked at the pearl with a quizzical expression.

"A trap? What do you mean?"

"Turn around! Now! Don't take us to the diamonds! They're tracking us!"

The Jasper disengaged the gravity drive then began to make a series of random turns as she scanned the immediate location. There - a blip. It could have been a small asteroid. Or a cloaked ship. She engaged maneuvering thrusters and hit the brakes. The small blip changed its trajectory to match hers - that was no asteroid. She reengaged her gravity drive and turned towards the central star. She sent a coded micro-comm burst to her compatriots.

_Danger - ambush - do not return - depart and hide - don't follow - I'll contact later_

This was bad and she knew it. This enemy was not to be trifled with. They were able to defeat the ships earlier but this was different. Only a Cryptid fighter could have kept up with her like that. She didn't dare risk a confrontation with the ship - not with Blue Diamond's beloved on board.

She disengaged the safeties on the ship's engines and began a series of rapid maneuvers that exceeded her auto-gravity adjusters. She and her passenger fought against the severe inertial shifts as she sought to lose the blip that followed her every move. She wasn't having any success as the blip continued to close in on her. She abandoned any doubts she had as to the risks this ship represented. She had to outrun it and there was only one way to do it. Not something she ever hoped to have to do.

This was dangerous - the maneuvers were bad enough in normal space; the stresses on her craft were exponentially magnified by the gravity drive. But she had an advantage over her pursuers - she didn't need an atmosphere and she could withstand inertial forces that would kill an organic. She withdrew her destabilizer and poofed the pearl next to her. She then bubbled her and sent her to a special compartment in the ship designed for just this sort of emergency. She bubbled the two rubies and sent them along as well.

With her charges safely stored away, she was free to really put the craft through its paces. She hit a button and strapped herself in.

 _Match this_ she growled as she plunged into the corona of the star. The external temperatures on the small craft grew rapidly and she activated a dimensional portal in order to dump the excess energy into the space it connected with. Whatever was on the receiving end was likely obliterated by the hot gases flowing into that remote space. Not her problem.

She was unable to monitor the blip during this maneuver but neither could they track her. She placed her hand over the gravity drive controls as she flew towards the center of the star. The timing for what would follow was critical. The smallest error in judgement would destroy them. She watched the console as she counted down in her head.

 _ **Now!**_ She slammed the emergency drive override with her hand as she yanked the controls hard to one side. The small ship emerged into normal space inside the intense gravitational field of the star. The hull of the ship struggled to compensate for the pressure and temperatures it was suddenly forced to contend with.

The hard maneuver created a rapid spin and the stress on the ship and its occupants were nearly incomprehensible. The jasper grimaced as she felt the forces threatening to crush her gem even as she increased the spin rate of the craft. Alarm bells screamed, lights flashed and the jasper knew was near her limit. She slammed her fist down onto a second override button and the gravity drive suddenly engaged and a wormhole opened before her. She shoved the controls forward as hard and as fast as she could and entered the passage, screaming through the strange space just mere seconds ahead of the collapsing mouth.

The ship continued to spin as the gravity drive pushed out every bit of energy it could then suddenly the ship emerged on the far side, hundreds of thousands of lightyears from where they started. Tendrils of stellar mass followed the ship and spread out in a gamma ray burst as the wormhole collapsed.

They'd made it, but the gravity drive was down. They'd have to set down and repair it. The jasper wished for the first time in her life that she'd brought a peridot with her.

* * *

**We have them!** The Cryptid fighter appeared into normal space and began to fire on the massive diamond ship. The pilot was inexperienced and cocky - he didn't realize how dangerous it was to go up against a sapphire and a zircon in battle. He didn't live long enough to learn from his mistake.

One by one, ships emerged in the local space but the diamond ship had already engaged its gravity drive and raised its defensive shields. Fighters piloted by jaspers flew into the confrontation like angry yellow jackets while the diamond ship began its escape.

It was no use. The attacking fleet dispatched two squadrons of fighters to deal with the jasper fighters and pursued the diamond ship. Their drives were faster than those the gems used and they converged on their target.

Space became a blur of super-luminal maneuvers and powerful energy blasts. Ships emerged into normal space only to disappear again - sometimes to safety, other times to oblivion. The conflict was unprecedented even by the standards of these ancient enemies.

Yellow Diamond and her pearl eventually were forced to abandon their ship in a special escape craft. They alone made it out of the battle zone and they headed towards the only place they had any hope of safety.

* * *

The unsuspecting Cryptid exploded into a mist of blood and flesh as Klatos vented his rage over loosing the diamond. He turned and advanced on the remaining Cryptid. _"We had them! How did you let them escape!"_

Sandu stood his ground in the face of his lord.

"All is not lost sire. We can track them. They return to their mother. We have her."

The massive Cryptid looked at his most trustworthy lieutenant. He gripped the arm rests of his command seat, crushing them as he sought to recover his temper. He flashed an unmistakable warming to Sandu. "See to it then."


	65. Birth

Ohhh, what is this feeling?

_It's your body, dear._

My body? What? I don't understand.

_You're a new gem. You've just emerged._

A gem? What is a gem?

_... You don't know?_

No. What am I? Who are you?

_I'm your mother. I made you._

You made me? How?

_You were in the ground and I gave you part of my essence._

The ground?

_Yes. I searched this planet and found a formation suitable for you and injected part of myself into the ground._

That's how you made me? I'm part of you?

_Yes. You come from me. You are my daughter._

But who am I? Why did you make me?

_You're Pink, dear. A diamond._

A diamond?

_Yes. You're a diamond. Like me. And you have sisters._

Sisters?

_Yes. Blue and Yellow. They are here and they want to meet you._

By why did you make me? Why am I here?

_I made you because I love you._

You ... what? No, I wasn't here. You didn't love me - you couldn't love me. How can you love someone that isn't here? You lie!

_No! Pink! No! I loved you when I made you and I love you now!_

No! You lie! I was never here! You can't love something that doesn't exist. You couldn't love me. You're vile! You're evil!

_No! Oh, Pink! My love - I am not lying. I loved you before you were made. I loved the idea of you and I love the you that stands before me now..._

**NO!** I don't believe you! I don't ... I, I don't understand. I don't know. Why did you make me? Why am I here?

_Oh, sweetie! How can you not know? I made you because it is my imperative. You don't know this?_

Your imperative? You made me because you had to? ... You **don't** love me! You lie! Lies! You're evil!

_Oh, Pink! No! Please! Don't say that! You cut me! You shatter my stone! I love you Pink! You're my daughter!_

Ahh! No, no, no ... you lie. You lie! No ... I don't believe you. You don't love me! I don't love you! You disgust me! I disgust myself! This is wrong. **Why did you make me? I'm a monster. Like you!**

_No! Oh, baby - no! ..._

I don't belong here! I hate you! I hate you! You shouldn't have made me. I ... I ...

_... Oh, Pink ..._

Mother? Is that you?

_Yes Pink! It's me. I'm here Pink!_

Mother? Where am I? What happened? Mother?

_Pink. It's okay. It's okay ... I'm here baby. I'm here. I'll take care of you._

Mommy! I'm scared! I don't understand. Oh, why did you make me mother? Why?

_Pink. Oh, my dear sweet Pink. It's okay. I'll take care of you. Your sisters will take of you. It'll be okay._

I'm so afraid Mother. Please save me. Please!

_I will dear. I promise._


	66. Rose's Room

Steven's gem glowed as he held out his hand to Connie. "We need to talk."

The door to the mysterious space leading into the temple began to glow as well. The light collapsed on itself and centered on the small rose quartz gem in the door. Rose's emblem burst forth and a passage way appeared. Connie and Steven entered the space as the door disappeared behind them.

The room felt different this time. Normally there were white clouds floating against a pink background, but now the room was dark. Clouds flitted away from them as the approached as if trying to avoid them. Steven looked around then dropped Connie's hand.

"Okay, mom. Enough. Show yourself - you're the only one who can answer me, I see that now."

Nothing happened. Steven scowled then took a breath.

"Room. I want to talk to my mother. Show her to me."

A cloud slowly emerged from the floor of the room but unlike before it didn't take form. It hovered in the space before them.

"Mom. Show yourself. Please. We need to talk. I need to know what is going on."

The cloud continued to float then slowly took shape, as if reluctant. Rose's avatar finally appeared and looked to her son with sad, tired eyes.

"Hello Steven. I guess this had to happen." The shape looked to Connie with questioning eyes. "Connie? How are you?"

Connie curtsied out of embarrassment - she didn't know what else to do. "Hello, ... um, ma'am. Pleasure to make you acquaintance."

"The pleasure is all mine, I'm sure." The avatar smiled at Connie then turned to face her son.

"So. Where should I start?"

"You can start by telling me what happened! You can start by telling me why! Why, Mom! You shattered Pink Diamond - you were supposed to heal her!"

The avatar turned away and began to walk. Steven and Connie walked beside her as she headed nowhere in particular.

"The easy answer is I had to. She was going to destroy everything. The Earth was in the balance. But that doesn't really help much, does it?"

Steven shook his head. Connie looked back and forth between them with wide eyes.

"Ms. Universe? Um, ma'am? What do you mean? What was Pink doing?"

The avatar stopped and looked at her and smiled.

"I supposed you could call me mom, if you want. If Steven agrees, that is."

Connie looked at Steven but he was focused on the avatar.

"I was made to heal Pink, that's true. It was my primary purpose. Mother - you know of her, yes?" Steven nodded.

"Mother made me herself. The first gem made in thousands of years. Apart from Pink, that is. She found a seam of natural rose quartz then added a her own substance to it. It's funny, but in a way Pearl is my mother too... But that's not relevant, is it?

"Mother did something she'd never done before. I don't know why, maybe it's something she can't do often. Or maybe she didn't know if it was even possible. There was never a need before in any event."

She looked off into a pink simulation of a sky, lost in the memory. "She gave me the ability to heal. No other gem, not even Mother herself, can do that."

Connie took Steven's hand. "Ma'am" - she wasn't comfortable calling her mom just yet - "how did she do that? How can you heal like that?"

"Because I'm partially organic too. My gem has a carbon center. I have Earth's life in me."

Her eyes began to water as she continued. "I have an experience of life like no other. No, that's wrong - you have this too. You are fully organic and fully gem - something even Mother couldn't have managed." She smiled proudly even as tears formed in the corner of her eyes.

"Pink was insane, Steven. She was destructive like you haven't seen! She attacked her own court! She shattered them like they were nothing to her. Mother was desperate. She even gave Pink her pearl. Our Pearl..."

She turned to Steven, anger flashing in her eyes. "I tried to heal her Steven. It was my purpose! I held her him my arms and cradled her."

Her voice drew quiet as tears streamed down her face. "I cried for her. She was in such pain, Steven. It broke my stone."

* * *

"What you don't know is, I did heal her. I corrected the errors that Mother had created in her matrix. But I didn't make her better. I made her worse. I alone understood this. The others - the diamonds," she seemed to spit the word, "they said I failed. That she was still insane. No, Steven. She wasn't. She was the sanest gem in the history of our kind. And she cared for no one but herself."

She gripped her hands into tight fists as the clouds in the room began to swirl. Thunder rumbled in the distance as her eyes darked behind her hair.

"She set out to colonize the Earth as was her right. We traveled to home world and she hand selected the gems that would return with us. She was confronted by White Diamond and they argued, but in the end they let her run her colony as she saw fit.

"We returned and she established her court on the moon. Then she began to build. It was grand at first, the floating arena, the lunar spire. It was beautiful. Then she showed me her plans."

Steven nodded. He remembered. The Earth would be denuded of its resources to make gems, the core hollowed and the Earth faceted like a huge gem. It would have caused the extinction of all life.

"I recoiled and we fought. She threatened to shatter me if I didn't drop it. But I couldn't."

The floor fell away from them and Connie jerked to find herself floating in empty space. Steven was unfazed. The clouds continued to swirl and twist. Flashes of lightening streaked across the sky, causing Connie to jump and grab onto Steven's arm.

"I _did_ heal her Steven! I did _exactly_ what they wanted! And they were willing to let her destroy the Earth. My home, Steven! My _home!_ I couldn't stand by and allow her to do that!"

The room began to quiet and a floor reappeared. Connie took a sigh of relief.

"Pearl and I, we had an affinity for each other. I felt betrayed by Pink's desire to destroy my home and she felt betrayed by White Diamond. She shifted her allegiance to me."

Connie raised her hand. "Yeah, I was wondering about that. That peridot gem said her allegiance to Steven is what is keeping her from being healed. Or something. I really don't understand it."

The room slowly returned to its normal appearance as Rose's avatar answered Connie.

"Pearls are made to serve. They need that bond with another gem. But a diamond's pearl - they have a special bond with their diamond that no other gem has. And Pearl, our sweet Pearl, she had a bond beyond even that. Mother's concern for her child, for Pink, clouded her judgment. She is driven by love more than anything else and sometimes she forgets herself.

"She came apart and then White gifted her to Pink. Pearl understood at the time. She was part of Mother when the decision was made, but they forgot. White and Pearl are not Mother. They are different and they are less. They forgot what a prolong absence from White would do to Pearl. Blue Pearl or Yellow Pearl, sure. They would have handled it. But not our Pearl. It was too much for her."

The avatar sat on the floor and patted it, inviting Connie and Steven to join her. She looked at Steven then took one of his hands.

"That was so very hard for Pearl, Steven. It tore at her. She struggled every day trying to cope. Pink didn't help. She was healed, but she wasn't right. She lacked an emotional connection to anyone else and Pearl wasn't able to establish a new bond.

"So she turned to me. We fell in love. She was everything I ever wanted and I gave her the emotional foundation she desperately needed. It was Pearl, my dear, sweet Pearl, that put me over the edge. I had to stand and fight for the Earth. I had to fight for Pearl."

Steven remembered what Pearl had told him. He put his head in the avatar's lap as she continued.

"We'd been recalled to the moon base and from there to home world. Our "home". We were to return with Pink as they prepared to terraform the Earth in preparation for hollowing it out. It was then that I knew I had to take a stand. I gave her a way out. Pearl, I mean. I didn't want her to be caught up in this. I feared that Pink would shatter even her."

She gave a bitter smile. "Then White would have understood what I was telling them. Pink was beyond even my help. I wanted Pearl to be safe, but she wanted to fight by my side. I couldn't say no."

The avatar began to flicker and loose its form. Steven stood and cried out to the room.

"No! Bring her back. I have more questions!"

"I'm sorry Steven, but there are limits to what this room can do. I must return to our gem. You must go to Mother and heal Pearl. You and Connie are her only chance. Save her, Steven."

"I will mom. I promise."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _This was probably the most difficult chapter I've written to date. I've clearly deviated from the series with this fanfic, but I've always sought to remain respectful, if not faithful, to canon. I watched Rose's Scabbard over and over as I wrote this and it pained me to deviate even in the slightest from that episode. I remained as close I as I could and I hope you'll forgive me this sacrilege._


	67. Recovery

The ship landed on a small, rocky planet orbiting an unremarkable star. A large pale gem stepped out and looked around at the barren landscape. She walked over to the other ship and opened the access port. Its gravity drive was in bad shape. She considered her options then returned to her ship.

"Peridot, you're going to have to look at this." A small pale gem with just a hint of green tinting stepped out of the ship and looked up at the beryl.

"Fine. Give me a minute." She brought up a fancy diagnostic terminal, a gift from the peridots in Blue Diamond's court, and walked over to the abandoned ship. She poked around the engine compartment for several minutes then turned to the beryl.

"Yeah, this is pretty much useless. The impulse thrusters are intact but this piece of junk - oof! - has to be replaced." She dropped a large piece of the engine to the ground and kicked it aside as static charges crackled in the air.

"I have what I need in the cargo compartment. I should be able to get this ship up and running. It's going to take a few hours, however. And this hull! What on home world is that all about?"

The beryl looked around as the peridot spoke. "Fine. You do that. I need to find the others." She returned to the ship and retrieved her own terminal. "Contact me when you're done."

The little peridot nodded absentmindedly as she began to pull several containers from the hold of the ship. The beryl for her part began to walk towards a point on the horizon that her scanner suggested may be a possible location to conduct her search.

It wasn't, but that was to be expected. The jasper she sought was experienced and knew what to do. She continued to search. The jasper had selected an ideal location to hide; it was just a matter of finding it. She knew that there would have been no chance of finding her without her terminal. Even so, it took several hours before she succeeded.

She walked over and examined a boulder. It looked like it has been there for millions of years. Of course, but that was the jasper for you. Even so, it was evident to her that it had been placed here recently. That was an advantage of having been made in the dirt herself. She gripped the boulder and pushed it to one side, exposing an opening in the rock face. She stepped in and cast a light from her gem. _There you are,_ she thought as she located the four gems - two rubies, a jasper and a pearl. Only the jasper was not in a bubble.

She reached down and placed her hand on the jasper. "I'm here my friend. It's safe to reform. You did well."

She stepped back and waited. The triangular shaped stone began to glow then lifted off the ground as the gem took form. A sudden flash of light subsided as the jasper took form and stood before the beryl.

"Thank you for coming, Beryl. We were stranded here with no way to return to Blue Diamond."

The beryl nodded as she sent the remaining gems to her ship. "I'll take these off you hands. Let's see what Peridot has to say for herself."

* * *

"So, here's the good news. I've managed to get the gravity drive working. Mostly. But it's your hull. You opened a wormhole, didn't you?"

The beryl raised an eyebrow as she looked at the jasper. She knew this jasper was good, but a wormhole maneuver? Damn.

"Yes. A Cryptid fighter was pursuing us. I couldn't shake it, and I couldn't risk engaging it with Blue Diamond's beloved on board. I had no choice but to try it. It frankly scared me witless."

"I've no doubt of that," the little peridot remarked. "This is only the, let's see," she counted on her fingers, "the sixth time such a maneuver was successful. I'm impressed. But that's beside the point."

The beryl slapped the jasper on the back and laughed. "Whoa, girl! You impressed a _peridot!_ That even beats opening a wormhole!"

The little peridot scrunched her face, not sure how to take that. "Anyway," she continued, giving the beryl a sideways glance, "you can't do any hard maneuvers with this ship. You need to return to a depot and have them do a proper repair first."

The beryl took on a serious look again. The little peridot let out a sigh of relief - laughing beryls were just flat out scary. "You'll need to skirt our standard travel ways - the enemy has managed to destroy Yellow Diamond's arm ship, and ..."

"What! How!"

"It was an ambush. The enemy followed your companions back to Yellow Diamond's location and attacked. They wiped out her entire escort fleet."

Now the little peridot was starting to get really nervous. A laughing beryl is one thing. Seeing this one tear up meant only one thing. She was going to go all obsidian on the first Cryptid she came across. One does not make a beryl cry without paying a terrible price. She returned to putting her stuff away while the two massive gems continued talking.

"Yellow Diamond! What happened to her?"

"She escaped. Many of your sisters were lost in the battle. As were many of my own. I'm afraid her sapphire and zircon didn't make it out either. She and her beloved headed to the crystal system where the old Earth colony used to be."

The jasper grabbed the beryl's arm and pulled in close. "This cannot stand, Beryl. You understand me, don't you."

"Yes, my friend. I understand you perfectly. I return to our diamond, and once Blue Diamond's beloved is safe, I will make the enemy pay. But you have orders - Mother is clear; we need your ship. The Old Ones took too many out in that battle. Mother has summoned as many of Yellow Diamond's remaining fleet as can be pulled in. We fear the enemy may learn of her location as well."

The beryl watched as the little peridot stowed away the last of her gear. She turned to her friend as she stepped inside the craft. "Return to the nearest depot and then come to us. I'll save you a place at the table."

* * *

The two ships lifted off and headed their separate ways. The jasper grumbled as she carefully engaged the gravity drive, irritated at being kept out the battle. The beryl engaged her drive and disappeared in a flash of light. She and her passengers headed towards the site of gem kind's greatest defeat and now possibly their last hope for survival.


	68. Anthill

"Bismuth!" Pink Diamond sat at the lunar console and looked out on her colony as she drummed her fingers across the surface. "The Sky Arena should be done by now. Why isn't it?"

Bismuth stood over the plans, her face as blank as she could make it.

"My diamond. We are proceeding at the normal pace for a new colony. There is a lot of preparation that must be completed before we can start building."

"It's a Sky Arena. It floats in the sky. How much 'preparation' do you need? I want it done. I wish to try out my skills." She stood and walked to the stairway leading down to the lower levels. She brushed past Bismuth, knocking her sideways in the process. "You're pathetic. Like the rest of your kind."

"Yes, my diamond," Bismuth agreed, staring at the back of the massive gem. "As you will. I'll press my crew to prioritize the Sky Arena. We'll finish it as soon as possible."

"See that you do," Pink Diamond said as she walked to the central platform then called out to gems awaiting below. "Where's Beryl! She needs to explain herself!"

* * *

"Bismuth. I know something is eating you. What's wrong?" Rose Quartz looked up from the instrument panel as their ship began to land. "It has something to do with the Arena, doesn't it? You put it up much sooner than you'd planned."

"Nothing's eating me, Rose. You know better than to ask such a question. I'm here to build, and I build. What more is there to say?"

"You're an ant."

"A what?"

"An ant."

"What is an ant?"

"Here, I'll show you." They stepped out of the ship that was so much smaller on the outside than it was on the inside. They walked a short distance until Rose found what she was looking for.

"Look here," she said bending down to one knee. "This is an anthill. And you see those things moving around it?" Bismuth nodded. "Those are ants."

"What does that have to do with me?"

"There's another name for an anthill. It's also a colony. Now watch this." Rose took her hand and brushed away the carefully crafted structure. The area erupted into a flurry of activity as ants streamed out across the area. Rose continued to probe, then smiled and looked up.

" _That_ is their diamond." She pointed to an ant much larger than the rest. "And the rest are her gems. Each has a purpose. Those over there tend to those little white things, those over there forage for food and _these,_ " she held up her hand to show Bismuth the ants trying to bite her. "These are her warriors."

Bismuth took in the scene then turned to Rose, unimpressed.

"So I ask you again, Rose Quartz. What does any of this have to do with me?"

"Each ant has a role. It has a purpose, and that's all it is and all it does. You're like that. You're an ant."

"Rose, you have always been strange, but this is weird even for you. What is the point of all this?"

Rose smiled cryptically, something she was known for. She began to walk, beckoning Bismuth to follow. They traveled a short distance then Rose stopped, and raised her finger to her lips.

"Shh. Look over there. See those humans? They look a lot like us, don't they?"

"Yeah, we've always thought so. It's uncanny. They're so ... ugly."

"Ugly or not, they aren't ants."

"Yeah. That's obvious. They're humans."

"No, I mean they aren't _like_ ants. They don't have strict purposes. Each human has its own potential. Every human has a role in their society, as far as I can tell, but they aren't limited to it. I've been watching that one over there. He is smaller than the rest yet he seems to be in charge. Do you know why?"

"No. How would I?"

"He's smart. In fact, he's one of the smartest humans I've seen. The others listen to him, and they follow his lead. There are bigger humans and faster humans, but none smarter. He's their leader because they allow him to be."

Rose turned to return to the ship. Bismuth followed, her brow creased in thought.

"Why are you showing me this?"

"Because Bismuth. You're an ant - but you don't have to be. Why do you just build? Why do you craft weapons for others to use when you _know_ you could put them to better use? Why to you allow yourself to be blinded by the lies of home world - that you build, and that's all? Why are you an ant, Bismuth? Why aren't you more like those humans?"

"Rose, you're insane."

"Maybe. But are you sure?"


	69. A Lapis Terraforms

The peridot looked about the landscape, nodding with satisfaction. She prided herself for her skills as a master kindergartener, and this spot was nearly perfect. Time to make some quartz soldiers.

"Lapis Lazuli," she spoke. "This is the spot. The mineral content here is perfect. I need two channels to start. See if you can carve out one over there. East to west, okay?"

The blue gem looked down at the peridot then nodded. She spread two watery wings and lifted off into the sky. Peridots were such know-it-alls, but she had to give this one credit. This was an excellent site.

She flew higher as she scouted the ground. The trick to terraforming a kindergarten was lots of water. She looked to the northwest and saw a chain of massive lakes. One, in particular, ended in an impressive waterfall. _Nice,_ she thought. Waterfalls were always her favorite. That settled it then.

She turned her wrist as she extended an arm. She felt the familiar flow of energy as it collected in her gem. She focused her intent, feeling her power squeeze down to a small point at the center of her back. She raised her other arm as she looked back to the site of the new kindergarten.

She relaxed her control and felt the energy she'd trapped in her gem release itself in a rush. It flowed through her as it sought the lake. The water swirled and churned as it took shape. She smiled as a large column lifted out and began to fly through the air. The water was part of her now.

She returned her attention to the granite-rich mountain range and using both hands, ripped into the earth with two powerful columns of water. She could feel the soil as it gave way to her onslaught. She twirled the water in the air and slammed it back again in the opposite direction. The impact of the water on the hard rock trembled in her gem causing her to shudder. Such an exquisite sensation.

She drove the water into the earth over and over, digging a little deeper each time. With each pass, fresh material was collected and added to the columns of water to serve as abrasives. She watched as the planet's star rose and set in its sky. She gave herself over to her task, digging and scouring into the hard earth. Time became a memory - water was all there was.

She became caught up in the rapture of the power flowing through her body, her eyes closed and her lips parted. She felt every grain of sand, every boulder, every crack and crevice in the rock face. The sky began to churn as if angered by this assault on the land below it. Clouds poured in, and lightning bolts lit up the sky as hail crashed to the ground. Lapis took all of this in. It invigorated her and filled her with an ecstasy only a gem as powerful as she could understand.

The channel the peridot asked for took shape. She lowered herself to the mountain range and began the fine details of her task. She smoothed the sides of the channel, making them perfectly straight and vertical. This was as nearly time-consuming as the task of digging out the channel itself.

She didn't mind. She walked through the rift and worked the water like fine chisels. Slowly, mile by mile and inch by inch, she worked the channel until it was perfect. She returned the water to its source and waited for the peridot. She knew better than to expect a compliment, but she didn't care. No peridot could understand the majesty of what she just accomplished.

* * *

Rose Quartz looked out over the landscape. Pearl stood beside her as tears formed in the corners of her eyes.

"Rose? What's wrong?"

"Can't you see, Pearl? Can't you see what that lapis lazuli just did?"

Pearl gripped the hand of her friend and looked to where she was pointing.

"It's a kindergarten. She dug a channel. She did a good job of it too, from the looks of things."

"Yes. She's an _excellent_ gem. Perfect for her intended purpose. But, at what price Pearl? What of the loss of life? Why was must we destroy to survive?"

"Rose, it's just organic life."

"Pearl. My dear, sweet Pearl. You've no idea how you wound me with those words. But enough. We can't change this. Here."

Pearl looked down at what Rose was handing her.

"What are those?"

"Rapiers. Swords. Bismuth made them for me."

"Why?"

"Because it's time you learned to use them."


	70. My Pearl

"Pearl. You have to tell me what's wrong." Rose stood, looking out over the side of the floating platform of earth and grass. It was winter in this part of the planet, and it was cold. Snow covered the ground below, and small shapes could be seen moving about the landscape. They were humans, covered in fur as protection from the harsh environment. As always, Rose watched in amazement at their resilience and adaptability. Every moment must be precious to creatures whose existence was so fleeting and tenuous.

Rose continued to look out, unfazed by the biting cold, as she waited for Pearl's answer. She knew it wouldn't be forthcoming. Pearl didn't like to admit her insecurities to Rose or even to herself. Rose sighed inwardly and turned to her dear friend.

"Pearl,"

"Yes?" Pearl answered. It seemed Rose was dropping the subject which suited her just fine. Besides, she had a feeling she knew what Rose wanted to talk with her about.

"I'm going to stay and fight for this planet." Rose was troubled by this decision, Pearl could tell, but she knew how important Earth was for her. She and Rose had long discussed how devastating Pink Diamond's plans would be for this planet and, frankly, Pearl was confused by Rose's attitude. It was just another colony. So what if a few organics perished as a result? Pink Diamond had every right to do what she wanted here, and she didn't understand Rose's objections.

Rose had tried patiently to explain to Pearl why this planet and the life it contained was so important to her. She carried part of it in herself - it was what allowed her to heal others. Even Pink Diamond, despite what her sisters might think. Destroying this planet and the life it contained would be akin to killing part of herself. She couldn't explain it properly, it was hard for any gem to grasp, but she felt a unique connection to this world. She couldn't stand by as Pink reduced it to a hollow shell.

She turned to Pearl. "You don't have to do this with me." Pearl was precious to Rose, and it pained her to risk Pearl like this. Pink Diamond wouldn't hesitate to shatter even her if this rebellion failed. It would be little consolation for the other diamonds to understand what she had tried to explain to them. Pink was whole, now. She was healed. Rose had done what she was made to do and in the process had created a monster.

"But I want to!" Pearl's answer was as predictable as it was endearing. Rose and Pearl were more than merely gems in the service of Pink Diamond. They were something nearly unheard of in gem culture. They were in love. Their expression of their love, the fusion Rainbow Quartz, was a closely guarded secret. Fusion between different gem types was a deep taboo in gem culture, in particular for those in Blue Diamond's court. It was a secret love between them, and she resented being forced to keep it hidden. It was one more reason why the tyranny of the diamonds had to be resisted. If only they'd listen to her. If only they'd heed her words. But her pleas fell on deaf stones.

Still, Pearl was too valuable. Not only to Rose, but to White Diamond. Rose knew Mother for only a brief time, and a part of her regretted Pearl's adamant decision not to return to White Diamond. If only she could talk to Mother, maybe they could sort this out without the need for war.

"I know you do. Please. Please understand. If we lose, we'll be killed. And if we win, we can never go home." _Please, Pearl, listen to what I'm trying to tell you. I can't lose you, and without you, we are all lost. You are that important, my love._

Pearl looked at Rose through the eyes of total devotion and dedication. "Why would I ever want to go home if you're here?" Rose smiled. She'd known it would be a futile effort, but she'd had to try. Still, she had to wonder. Would she give up Pearl, return her to White so they may become Mother again? Would she sacrifice her love for Pearl to prevent war? She didn't know the answer to that, and she was secretly relieved Pearl didn't force her to find out. She reached out and took the hand of her dearly beloved.

"My Pearl."


	71. My Diamond is Pink Diamond

The ship approached the Earth colony and inserted itself into a low orbit. The pilot relaxed in the knowledge that Blue Diamond had set up a court on the planet. The colony's true diamond, Pink Diamond, was impossible to please and more than one gem had ended up as shards powering some machine for no good reason at all. Now that her sister was here, things were a lot saner.

Ships zipped in and out of orbit, and a few ran regular shuttles to the lunar base. Pink Diamond seemed to prefer that location over her planet side home, but that was her business. She was a diamond and could do whatever she wanted.

The pilot made a few final adjustments to stabilize the ship's orbit then went back to the passenger compartment.

"We've arrived at your destination, your Clarity. We've contacted Blue Pearl, and she sends word they will summon you once they are ready. Blue Diamond is indisposed at the moment."

"Thank you, Spinel." The gem bowed and started to leave but Sapphire stopped her.

"Stay for a bit. I'd like to talk with you. What have you heard of the rebellion?"

"The so-called 'Crystal Gems'? Humph. Nothing good, I can tell you that. They pop in from time to time and raise a fuss, poof a few gems then head back to wherever they're holed up. They're a pain in the gem if you ask me."

"Why are they fighting us? What have you heard?"

The gem looked at Sapphire for several seconds before answering. She seemed to be considering if she should say anything. She evidently came to a decision and leaned in, speaking softly and occasionally glancing around as if checking for eavesdroppers.

"So, okay. Yeah. So me and one of my sisters were talking, right?, and she heard that the leader, Rose Quartz, is saying things about how unfair the diamond system is. She says that gems shouldn't be limited to being just one thing. She says things like we have individual potentials, you know? My sister says that Rose Quartz spends a lot of time looking at the organic life on this planet. She says we can learn from it. Something about ants or something."

"What do you think about all of that?"

"Me? Pffft. That stuff doesn't mean anything, right? I mean, the diamonds are perfect, right? _My_ diamond is _Pink_ Diamond!" Her eyes brightened and her back straightened as she spoke. "She is my joy. I can't imagine not serving her. I ... well, it would be nice if she didn't get so mad all the time, you know? She's a little shatter happy at times."

"I'm sorry, Spinel, I didn't mean to upset you."

"Upset? Me? Don't be ridiculous. I wear my diamond emblem proudly. Still, there are others. They talk, you know? They say things like Pink Diamond is insane or evil or stuff."

"Really? Why?"

Spinel held her hands in her lap and tapped the tips of her thumbs together as she spoke.

"Well, she's always upset. You have to speak carefully, or she might go off. It's very upsetting. She scolded me once, and I still don't know what I did wrong. But I've worked hard ever since, you know? I've done my best to please my diamond."

She looked down as she continued. "But there are others, you know? They are hurt really bad by some of the things Pink Diamond says to them. But it's better now!"

"Oh? How so?"

"Oh, well - Blue Diamond is here now! She and her sisters have, um, spoken," - she said the word softly, her eyes moist - "with my diamond. They've explained things to her. Pink Diamond is much better now."

"I see," Sapphire said softly. She reached out and took the hand of the gem before her.

"Don't worry. Things are going to be better soon. I've seen it. The rebels will come to Blue Diamond's court, and they will be captured. The rebellion will be over and then Blue and Yellow Diamonds will be able to help Pink Diamond even more."

Spinel brightened up at the words. "Really? That will be such a relief."

"What can you tell me about her pearl?"

"That _traitor?_ " She spat the word. "She abandoned her diamond and joined up with Rose Quartz. Those two are the core of the rebellion. If she hadn't joined, the whole thing would have fizzled before it even got started. Who does she think she is, even? She's a _pearl!_ Pearls don't fight! They don't ... join movements! They hold stuff and clean stuff. She's as crazy as P... uh ... she's just crazy, okay? This whole thing is her fault!"

"Okay, Spinel. That will be all. Thank you for your words and don't worry, it'll be over soon. Oh, and tell my bodyguard I'd like to talk to her. Just the one - you know, right?"

Spinel smiled to herself. "Yes, my Clarity. Right away. And ... thank you."


	72. Bismuth

Pearl walked in scowling. She waved off Rose's inquiry before she could voice it. "It's White Diamond. She keeps calling out to me, trying to get me to return."

"Oh. I had a feeling."

"She wants to talk to you too."

"Really. Does she say why?"

"No, but I can guess. She wants you to return as well."

"I see. Do you want to return? Perhaps if you and White fused aga..."

"No! Rose! We've talked about this. She abandoned me. She cast me aside."

"Pearl..."

"No, don't. You've seen that monstrosity she created. You know there's no way I can serve her. I may be a pearl, but I'm no fool. And I'll never forgive White for what she did. Not just to me. I was there when you tried to heal her, Rose. I saw what you did. She can't be healed, but the diamonds can't see that. They think it's your fault. Well, it isn't. I can't go back, Rose. I'm with you now. You need me. And I ... I need you. I won't return, Rose. I can't. Don't ask that of me. I couldn't handle another rejection. I just ..."

Rose stood and walked over to her friend. She held out her hand and sighed. "I know, Pearl. Come, dance with me. You'll feel better."

Pearl smiled appreciatively. She took Rose's offered hand and curtsied. The two gems began to sway in each other's arms, their eyes closed as they moved to a rhythm only they could feel. Rose held out her hand and Pearl twirled beneath it then bent back into Rose's arm. Their gems began to glow, and the two lights reached out, each seeking the other. They slowly merged until there was only one and Rainbow Quartz stood breathless as the light faded away.

"Ah," the massive gems sighed. "I've been gone for too long! This is just, so, wonderful!" she exclaimed as she stretched her arms over her head and clasped her fingers together. "Much too long."

She turned a quick pirouette then went into the room where Bismuth was working.

"Oh, it's you. Aren't you just a dandy."

"Yes. Yes, I am. I'm _your_ dandy, dearie."

"Oh, for... don't start that again. Shatter me now if you can't control yourself."

The large gem threw back her hair and laughed. Bismuth tried to hide her smile, but she finally had to snicker. "Enough. I want to talk to you. Try and contain yourself, okay?"

"Oh, dear, dear, Bismuth. You can't contain all _this!_ You may as well ask this planet's star to freeze in the sky."

"Yeah, yeah, keep it up smart ass. Just sit over there and listen up."

"Whatever you say, my little busy-bismuth."

"Enough! You're hopeless! Knock this off or so help me, I'll poof you myself. I told you, we need to talk. Now separate."

"Oh, you're no fun at all. Okay. I'll separate, but those two aren't _nearly_ as fun as I am and you know it."

Rainbow Quartz waited until Bismuth finally looked up to see what was taking so long and batted her eyes - all four of them - then came apart. 

Rose Quartz looked at Bismuth's exasperated expression and stifled a laugh. Pearl just smiled and struck a pose.

"I am _too_ fun. Just ask Rose!"

"Will the two of you just, sit, down. Please. I've had about as much of this as I can handle!"

* * *

"Okay, so what did you want to talk about," Rose asked, yielding to Bismuth's irritation.

Bismuth walked over to a small furnace and pulled out a piece of yellow-hot metal. She looked it over and, satisfied, formed one of her hands into a wedge and struck the ingot in its center. She changed her hand to a hammer and folded the metal block onto itself. She spoke between strikes as she welded the ingot to itself.

"I've been outfitting this little rebellion of yours, right?" Rose nodded. "Well, there is only so much I can do with the resources available. There's that forge I can use, but we're going to need to hurry up and take it from the home world gems."

"We've discussed this Bismuth. It's being planned. What's really on your mind."

"Yeah. So tell me. Where is this headed Rose? This little rebellion of yours. So far, all you ever do is poof a few gems, and that's all. What's the point in that? How is that going to resolve anything?"

She returned the ingot to the furnace and reached in to test the temperature. She grabbed several pieces of coal with her cool hand and added them to the fire. She worked large bellows as she continued their conversation.

"What would you have me do, Bismuth?" Rose asked, her turn to be irritated.

"Make them pay a price, Rose! Make them pay for their tyranny! They've held us down forever. Those upper crust gems treat the rest of us like the very dirt we're made from."

Rose stood and turned away."Bismuth. You know my feelings on this. Shattering is killing, and I won't kill Bismuth."

Sparks flew about the space as Bismuth increased her tempo pumping the bellows. "Yeah? Well, tell that to home world. You know their tactics - their _diamond's_ tactics. They always go for the gem. You? You just strike the body and _never_ the gem. You could at least bubble them."

"And do what with them after that? Just leave them lying around? How is that any different?"

Bismuth glared at Rose. She pulled the ingot from the furnace and began working it without taking the time to inspect it. More sparks flew about the space as she hammered the glowing metal with increasing intensity.

"So don't leave them lying around, Rose! Send them off somewhere. Send them here! I'll keep an eye on them for you."

"And will you leave them alone? Will you contain yourself from shattering them in such a vulnerable state?"

"Rose! Yes! I'm no monster, Rose! I just want my freedom. The freedom you promised us, Rose! We must win this war! If we lose, it'll be more than our freedom that will be taken from us! You know this. Why do you hold back?"

Rose turned around; her hands gripped tightly together. "I ... I seek another solution, Bismuth."

"And what is _that!_ What other solution is there, Rose? We shatter them, or they shatter us! There is no other way!"

" _NO!_ No, Bismuth, there _has_ to be another way. There has to be! I'll find it, Bismuth. I ... I won't shatter Bismuth. I can't."

"Well, I can and I will if you won't. Oh, here."

Bismuth returned the ingot to the furnace and turned to a cabinet along one wall. She opened it and pulled out a sword.

"I made this for you, Rose. It's my finest work. It'll cut down any gem's physical form. Even a diamond's. But," Bismuth looked at Rose with open disdain, "it won't harm the gem. Good luck winning the war that way, Rose."

She returned to the cabinet and pulled out a scabbard and handed it to her.

"You'll know where to find me if you ever come to your senses."


	73. Doubt

Rose stood and watched over the battle raging in the valley below. It sickened her. Bodies were being poofed, and warriors reached in to crush the exposed gem. _Why do they do that! It's barbaric. It's cruel. It's ... pointless. Aren't we just the same as the enemy? Aren't they the same as us?_

She knew the answer that so many held to, one that Bismuth carried like a banner. "No!" they said. "We're the oppressed, and they are the oppressors! Our actions are fundamentally different! We shatter to survive; they shatter to enslave."

So true yet so wrong. She argued bitterly against this logic. "Shattered gems are the same once the deed is done. Bring me a home world shard, and a Crystal Gem shard, and _show me_ the difference between them! Tell me! What makes a home world gem - a gem who is fighting for a cause she believes in as deeply as we believe in ours - what makes her more deserving to die! _Why!_ It's evil, no matter who is doing the shattering or who is being shattered!" 

But this gem was out of her hole now, and there was no putting her back. Rose had questioned the wisdom of this rebellion more than once. Yes, the gem culture was restrictive, and yes, gems were seen only for what they were made for. But this is the natural order of things. Gems are _made_ to serve! It's not cruel to allow someone to follow their fundamental nature. The gems fighting the rebellion didn't want to be free. They served their diamond, and there was no higher purpose to their existence. They didn't die because the diamonds sent them into battle; they died because the Crystal Gems rose up against the diamonds. They died in service to their diamonds and, in the end, it all came down to her. This slaughter of innocents weighed heavily on Rose's conscience.

_I was made to heal Pink, to cure her of her madness, but am I any more sane? Look what I've unleashed upon this world._ She sat and cried into her hands. Not only gems are dying. The life of this planet was caught in the crossfire. The humans paid the greatest price. They looked like gems and gems on both sides targeted them with their hatred. If they couldn't kill the enemy, then they'd kill a human instead. Gems on both sides were shatter-happy and consumed by their blood lust.

_And it's all my fault. All of it. Perhaps I should surrender, turn myself in and accept my fate. The death of one gem to save the lives of untold thousands. Is that really so bad? But it's too late for that, isn't it?_

If they lost, Pearl would be shattered alongside her. She'd probably be forced to watch as a final punishment. And the wholesale extinction of life on the Earth would be kicked into high gear. And there is no way the diamonds would allow the rebel gems return to her court. They'd seek them out and shatter them. Each and every one. _No, we have no choice now. We must see this through. The opportunity for a peaceful resolution is long past now._

* * *

Garnet walked into the war room the next day, the battle having ended in another stalemate. She'd joined the rebellion in its early stages and was as fierce in her convictions of the rightness of their cause as Bismuth. But she, at least, she was as repulsed by the shattering as Rose herself. Rose was grateful for that. Garnet and Pearl were her most trusted advisors, her dearest friends and her only reliable anchors in a world gone mad. A madness that she was responsible for unleashing.

"Rose, the gems will open a new kindergarten soon. In the desert southwest of this continent."

"I see. They're getting desperate. Will it affect the course of the war?"

The tall gem sat next to Rose and answered slowly. "It's hard to say. This war isn't going anywhere, for either side. Your fountain allows us to heal damaged gems which is probably the only thing keeping us in the fight. They outnumber us, but we can remove more of their gems from the battle than they can remove of us, thanks to you. But in the end, we can't win, and they can't defeat us."

Rose stood and walked outside. Garnet joined her, and they watched as the planet's star climbed into the sky. Dark clouds on the horizon mirrored Rose's mood. "Yes. I know. I've thought of little else the last few hundred years. They win, we win, no one wins. This can't go on forever, Garnet. We need to figure something out. I can't stand the slaughter, and the planet I swore to save is taking a terrible beating. Sometimes I just wish ... never mind. Where's Pearl? I need you two to manage things while I'm away."

"Oh? Where are you going?"

"I need to go to the Ziggurat - the war there is going badly. I need you and Pearl to watch over things here for me. Can you do that?"

Garnet looked at Rose for several seconds then nodded. "Of course."

"Thank you. I won't be long." Rose stood and, looking over the battlefield one again, reached out to stroke the mane of her feline companion.

"Come, my friend, we must travel." The creature looked at Rose and roared. A portal opened, and the two stepped through.


	74. The Forge

The Forge was deep inside a mountain near a vein of molten lava. Rose had told her friends she was going to the Ziggurat, but that was a lie. She'd come here instead. She'd come to talk to Bismuth. It was a conversation that was long overdue.

Bismuth was a fierce warrior, even by the standards of dedicated warrior gems. And her tactics, while crude, or maybe because of it, were ruthlessly effective. She was feared by the enemy, her mere presence often enough to cause gems to flee in panic. And she, more than any other gem in the war, went for the gemstone. She was brutal.

And she was the example that other gems followed. She set the standard. If not for Bismuth, the Crystal Gems would not shatter. Or so she told herself. She needed Bismuth to recant, to tell the others in the rebellion not to kill. If she could convince Bismuth, maybe she could sway the others.

The Forge had been a mixed blessing. They'd finally captured it from home world, and Bismuth was working around the clock, turning out weapons and war machines for the rebellion. She no longer engaged the enemy directly nearly as often and without her example, gems were more likely to allow a fallen enemy to live. Still, her presence was still felt. Only now, she killed by proxy - her weapons for the others increased their kill count. Without her weapons, the rebellion would be lost. Without her weapons, home world gems would still be alive. _Always this horrid logic - gems kill in order to live. Is there no other way?_

She approached the entrance, stood before the massive doors and closed her eyes. She made a gesture that few gems knew and connected with the mechanism within. Her gem glowed, the ground shook, and massive nested doors opened in quick succession, their sound echoing down deep passages. She paused briefly, took a breath and entered.

* * *

"Oh. Hello, Rose. I was wondering when you'd show up." Bismuth inspected the weapon she was working on and nodded in satisfaction. She set it aside and turned to confront her guest.

"So, what is it this time? Still going on about shattering?"

"Yes, Bismuth. This has to _stop._ It's gone too far!"

Bismuth eye's flashed her irritation as she turned away. "Hardly! We have to take it further! We can't win otherwise! Oh, get over yourself. What did you expect? Are you really surprised by all of this? Is this not what you wanted?"

It was Rose who was irritated now. " _No!_ Of course not! I wanted Pink ... I wanted ..."

She turned away, her eyes tearing up and she spoke in a near whisper. "I didn't want this."

"Well girl, you got it whether you wanted it or not. So what are you going to do now?"

Rose walked over to the anvil Bismuth had been using and ran her fingers across it. It was hot. She could feel the tiny imperfections in the surface where Bismuth hammered iron ingots into deadly weapons.

"You've changed, Bismuth. This isn't gem I spoke to that day. What happened?"

"Pink Diamond happened," she answered without hesitation. "I joined your little rebellion because I believed you. I understood your message. Better than Pearl, better than Garnet even. I sometimes think I understand better than you. I came to recognize my own worth and realized my _true_ potential! You taught me that. I learned I could set my _own_ destiny, chart my _own_ path. So I did."

She pulled together components from several urns along a wall and held them in her hand, mixing them together as she spoke. "I thought if we left, Pink Diamond would let us go. Damn stupid of me, I see that now. Like a gem fresh from the dirt."

She pulled a lever, and a panel opened in the wall, releasing a stream of molten lava into a channel below their feet. She put her hand in the flow and looked at Rose as she clinched her fist around the material it contained.

"I _thought_ that if we showed our resolve, if we poofed a few gems to demonstrate we were serious, they'd get the hint and let us go. But that vile creature wouldn't have it. She was the first to shatter, Rose! She was the one who set the rules of the game! This is _our survival,_ Rose! She hasn't given us an option - we _must_ shatter."

"No! No - you _always_ come back to that! No! We mustn't shatter! We must _stop!_ "

"You fool! You self-righteous, pompous, _fool!_ We _can't_ stop! _It's too late for that!_ " She put the softened metal on the anvil and formed her hand into a hammer and struck the anvil. It shattered beneath her onslaught.

"Look at what you've brought me to, Rose! _Look!_ I no longer create, I only destroy now." She shoved the useless metal aside and clinched her fists.

"I never wanted this, Rose! Never! I wanted to create pieces of art, of beauty! I wanted to create, not destroy. But you are a fool, and now I'm reduced to this. I am your hammer Rose and your anvil. It is on my back you wage your war, and I want it to stop."

Rose pulled her hands to her mouth, her eyes wide. "Bismuth! No! This isn't on you! This is all _my_ fault! I brought this about! You mustn't blame yourself, Bismuth!"

The massive gem smiled, her eyes dark and her voice gravelly. "Oh, I don't, Rose. I _know_ whose fault this is and she's a diamond! And we _can_ defeat her! I'll show you!"

* * *

Bismuth walked through an opening in one of the walls and led Rose into a small chamber. She reached down, opened a container and withdrew an oddly shaped device. She showed it to Rose who was curious at first, but the look on Bismuth's face gave her pause.

"What is that, Bismuth? Why are you showing it to me?"

"This? Oh, not much. Just the weapon that will _end_ this war you claim to despise so much!"

Rose took the weapon in her hand and looked at it with an increasing sense of dismay. Its deadly intent was evident just looking at it. It was a remarkably simple design. A rod with a point on one end, what looked like a handle on the other and straps for attaching it to an arm. Bismuth fitted it to Rose.

"Try it for yourself," she said as she stepped aside to reveal a target of hardened lava. It wasn't a gem, it lacked sentience, but it was clearly intended to represent one.

"How does it work?" Rose asked, almost afraid of the answer.

"Easy as mud, Rose. Just flex your arm to trigger the cocking mechanism and point it at the gem of your target. It'll do the rest. You'll see."

Rose looked at the device in morbid fascination. Would it work? _What do I do if it does?_ She clinched her fist and panels opened on the side, air was drawn in as the shaft pulled back and locked into place. She looked at the target then to Bismuth.

"Don't be shy Rose. Give it a try, it's _easy!_ It does all the work for you." Rose looked at the weapon, pointed it at the target and clinched her fist a second time. She didn't expect anything to happen and was startled when the plunger slammed forward and opened a hole in the crystalline figure. It was brutal on a scale she hadn't even considered possible.

Bismuth put her hands on her hips, threw back her hair and laughed manically. "Take _that_ you upper crust gems! We are the Crystal Gems and we're coming for you! None of you are safe now! _None_ of you!"

Rose's eyes widened as she absorbed the reality of what had just happened. She looked at Bismuth then back to the weapon. She cast it off and turned to Bismuth as it slid across the floor. Her eyes darkened as her anger began to rise. This was too much.

"Bismuth! No! We can't use this. It's not right."

"Who are _you_ to say what's right, Rose? This war has been going on for 500 years and it'll go on for another 500 years unless you come to your senses. _This is the only way, Rose! This is the solution! How many more gems are you ready to sacrifice before you do what you **know** you must!_ "

Rose's anger erupted in a flash of blind rage and she struck out at Bismuth. Bismuth was an experience and capable warrior in her own right, but she was unprepared for Rose's assault. She poofed instantly and her gem fell to the floor. The echoes of its clattering reverberated off the granite walls. Rose picked it up and held it in her hand. She felt her fingers twitch, aching to do what she'd sworn never to do. _If a diamond - **MY** diamond, Bismuth! If she can be shattered, why not you!_

She recoiled at her own logic and the savagery in her stone. She knew she was a warrior, first and foremost; such was the core of her programming. But this! She lowered the gem and stifled a sob. She was no better than the worst of her kind after all.

She calmed herself and put Bismuth in a bubble. She reached down and retrieved the breaking point. She held the vile weapon over a pool of lava and stared at it for several long minutes. She finally made her decision.

* * *

"Pearl, Garnet ... we need to talk."

The two gems looked up as Rose entered the room. They smiled at their friend, but their countenances fell as they saw her expression. Pearl clasped her hands together and spoke.

"What about, Rose?"

"Bismuth. She's... gone. She was shattered at the battle for the Ziggurat." The battle had gone badly for the Crystal Gems and there were no survivors. It was a perfect cover. A perfect lie - who could contradict her?

"What! Bismuth? But how? Wasn't she at the Forge?"

"No. The Ziggurat was the final structure she'd worked on before joining the rebellion and I guess she felt she should defend it. It was a mistake."

The three gems talked and cried together, grieving over the loss of a dear friend. Outside a lion sat. In a mysterious space accessible through his mane, two new objects could be found. A bubbled gem and a chest containing a most fearsome new weapon.


	75. Rendevous

"Yellow, are you ready?"

Yellow Diamond nodded as she settled in. The three massive gems knelt on the floor, their hands clasped as their sister, Pink Diamond, sat on her heels between them. Her eyes were closed, and she breathed rhythmically. She'd argued for hours with White Diamond over that last. Why, of all creatures, would a gem have to "breathe," she wondered. They don't need air for anything.

White Diamond struggled to explain the reasoning to Pink Diamond, how their projected forms are patterned on an organic template and certain behaviors worked to achieve certain outcomes. She finally concluded that Pink Diamond was being argumentative for its own sake and put her foot down. "Just do it," she admonished, and Pink finally acquiesced.

Two pearls were in attendance, one yellow, the other blue, and they sat nearby, dwarfed in the presence of the massive gems.

"Well, are we doing this or not." Pink Diamond's irritation and disdain were palpable. "I'm really sick and tired of you three always trying to 'heal' me or some such nonsense. There's nothing wrong with me."

White Diamond opened her eyes and glared at her troublesome child. "Enough. We need to tweak your computational matrix. We need to find a way to allow you to connect with a pearl. You are incomplete."

She didn't finish the thought. Her two sisters, Blue and Yellow Diamonds, were unable to fuse with their own pearls and she didn't want to rub their faces in it. She chastised herself for allowing Pink Diamond goad her into bringing the subject up.

The two pearls kept their thoughts to themselves, but they both recoiled at the idea that one of their sisters might someday belong to Pink Diamond. They remembered how badly things went with White's pearl. It ultimately led to outright civil war. How would a lesser pearl fare under such a harsh owner?

"Fine. Just get on with it. This is a waste of time, and I have a war to conduct. Wrap this up so I can return to the fight."

The three gems gritted their teeth and initiated the Diamond Embrace for the first time in centuries. They closed their eyes and a light emerged, enveloping the four gems in an undulating glow. Pink Diamond stifled a yawn while she waited for the ceremony play out. The two pearls joined the Embrace, something rare even for them, each touching the hand of their diamond and the hand of White Diamond. They produced a light of their own that radiated outward from their gems and fused with the combined light of the diamonds.

The three sisters took involuntary breaths as the lights from the pearls merged with their own. The light began to shift and shimmer and slowly coalesced around the form of Pink Diamond. Colored tendrils of energy danced across her form, jumping in energetic bursts between her and the rest. It lingered for several minutes as each of the others focused their intent until they were spent. Finally, the light returned to its sources and slowly receded. Each of the gems released the hands of the others, and they slumped, completely drained by the effort.

Pink Diamond looked around and stood to leave. "That it? We done, now? If so, I'm leaving. The next time you promise me a show, have the decency to deliver. That was probably the stupidest thing I've ever witnessed and a total waste of my time. I'm embarrassed for you three. Really."

White Diamond watched in dismay as Pink returned to her ship then collapsed into sobs. Her sisters consoled her even as they took solace from their beloved pearls. No one spoke, but all shared a single thought between them. _What do we do now?_

* * *

"My diamond." The beryl approached Pink Diamond. "We have found her."

"Who? Precision, Beryl. I require precision."

"The rose quartz, my diamond. She is here." She tapped instructions into a control panel, and a map appeared. A small pink light pulsed in the middle of a vast expanse of desert.

"This is her command center. For now, at least. She and her cohorts move often. It is why we've been unable to capture them."

Pink Diamond glared at the screen. "You're sure about this? Is that really her?"

"Yes, my diamond."

"Is she alone?"

"No, my diamond. Her core members are with her."

Pink Diamond smiled. "Ah yes, the garnet. I never understood Blue's obsession with that one. Who cares if she's a fusion? She has future vision and would have been an asset for our side had Blue keep her temper in check. She's the worst of the three, you know. I despise all of them, but she is just so, ... oh, I don't know, dull. No luster at all. That whole ceremony was probably her idea from the start. What a waste of carbon."

Beryl stood silent. She'd learned the hard way not to challenge anything her diamond said. She'd come a hair's breadth of being shattered. It did not do to anger her soveriegn.

"Is Pearl with her?"

"Yes, my diamond. There are no others at the moment."

"I see." Pink Diamond stared unblinkingly at the screen for several minutes as she drummed her fingers on her console.

"Where are those rubies Yellow sent me? Have them prepare a ship. We are going to make a social call."

* * *

"Garnet, how much longer?"

Garnet looked up at the sky and answered stoically. "Not long. I suspect she is assembling a crew to fly her to us as we speak."

Pearl looked at Rose, no longer attempting to contain her irritation.

"Rose, are you sure about this? This is a bad idea, I just know it. We've been fighting Pink for almost a thousand years, and now you're just going to let her capture us?"

Rose watched the clear blue sky as she answered. Only a few high altitude clouds were visible.

"This planet is so beautiful, don't you think? The weather is so unpredictable. It'll be snowing before you know it. It's always changing."

"Rose, you're avoiding the subject. Are you _sure_ about this? What happens if she gets here and ..."

"Pearl. My dear, precious, Pearl. What else is there? What else haven't we tried? This war is a stalemate. And an abomination. Gems are being shattered on a regular basis. Earth life is caught in the crossfire. There are death, destruction and ruin at every turn. This planet is lost either way. Something has to change."

"But Rose, she'll kill you! She'll destroy you, us and this planet! Everything you've fought for, everything gems have been shattered for ... it'll be lost!"

Rose looked at Pearl, and for the first time, Pearl didn't return the gaze. That small gesture was surprisingly painful. Rose teared up, but she remained resolute.

"No, Pearl. This will end today, one way or another. I will not allow this atrocity to continue any longer. It ends here."

Pearl threw up her hands in exasperation. "How! _How!_ Tell me, Rose! How does this end today? We've been at this for so long now. What's different? Garnet? Say something!"

Garnet looked at Pearl and allowed her visor to disappear. Tears filled her eyes as she looked at her friend.

"I'm sorry Pearl, but Rose has asked me not to say anything."

"So, will it end here or not? Can you tell me that much at least?"

Garnet looked at Rose as she answered Pearl's question.

"I ... don't know. There are many possible outcomes. I don't know how this day will end, but this much I know. Today will be a turning point in this war."

Pearl made one final appeal. "Rose?"

She received her answer as a ship touched down on the desert sand before them.


	76. The choice

The ship was large, one the largest in Pink Diamond's fleet. Rose watched as the ship settled into the sand and a door slid open. A phalanx rubies jumped out and immediately fused. They took up a defensive position as they waited for Pink Diamond to emerge. Rose rolled her eyes over the delay which was clearly for effect. A platform extended and Pink Diamond stepped out. She took in the scene before her as she brushed her hair out of her eyes.

"Hello, Garnet," she said with a smirk, deliberately ignoring the others. "Still hanging out with the riff raff I see." Garnet did not answer.

"Oh, please, get over yourself. You really should change sides, you know. Your talents are wasted with the 'Crystal Gems.' You know I'm right. Come back to us, Garnet. We'll make a home for you. And don't worry about Blue, I won't let her touch you. She's such an emotional sob story, but I'm rational. I see your worth. So what if the two of you want to break a few taboos? I say the more, the better! You can fuse as often as you like with anyone one you want. What do say? Hmm?"

Garnet visibly chafed at the provocation. It was well known, even among home world gems, that Ruby and Sapphire were committed to each other. The suggestion that either of them would choose to fuse with anyone else was offensive to Garnet, and Pink knew it.

"Heh. I figured as much. It's your choice. But if Blue can't shatter you, I suppose I'll have to do it for her. But there's plenty of time for that, don't you agree? No need to rush."

She turned to the others. "Hello, Pearl," she said with a fresh smirk. It didn't last. "You are probably the biggest disappointment of all. You were _my_ pearl, and you squandered that for Rose here? How ... common. You disgust me." She reached out to Pearl, but Rose raised her shield.

"Oh, Rose, what's the big hurry? I'll get to you soon enough. Pearl and I have so much to catch up on, don't we dear?" Pearl just glared at Pink Diamond who threw back her head and laughed.

"Oh, dearie me! Did I hit a nerve, Pearl? Well, too damn bad. You were _mine!_ White gave you to _me!_ You had _no business - no **right** -_ to leave my side. You were safe. You both were! But you left me. Unforgivable."

Pink Diamond began to pace. "You two have no idea what I've had to put up with since you left. Those three are insufferable. You know they think you failed, Rose. Don't you? They _still_ think I'm insane. But _we_ know better, don't we? You did your job well. Maybe a little too well, eh?

"They go on and on about how I'm 'incomplete,' how I need to be able to connect with a pearl of my own. Well I _have_ a pearl of my own. I have _you,_ Pearl! You! But no, that's not right, is it? You left me. You abandoned me!

"Over and over. It never ends. 'We want to help you, Pink,' they say. 'We want to make you complete.' I _am_ complete, damn it! I _am_ whole! I _have_ a Pearl! I have you! Come back, Pearl! Come back, and we'll put all of this aside. You'll rejoin my court, both of you. Even Garnet! I'll protect you! We'll end the war! I'll call a peace! I'll ... I'll grant a pardon to all of your friends! It'll be like it was! Yes! It'll be perfect!"

Pink Diamond dropped to her knees and reached out to the others. "Pearl? I need you. There, I said it. I need you, Pearl. You! I am incomplete without you. But only you! Come back! Stand by my side once again! End this war! End the carnage. Just ... come back ... please."

Pearl looked around at her friends. Rose broke the silence.

"It's a good offer, Pearl. We can end this, end the killing." Pearl just looked at Rose, her lips quivering.

"Pink, will you abandon your plans? Will you spare this planet as well." The massive gem nodded quickly. "Yes! You have my word! It will be as you say."

Rose turned back to Pearl. "There you have it Pearl. The war will be over, and the Earth is safe. You need only take your place by Pink's side. It's up to you, now."

Rose walked over to Pearl and held her hands. "I know this is hard for you and I'm so sorry it's come to this. Just know - I will support you in any decision you make my love. Just say the word."

Pearl looked at Rose then turned back to Pink Diamond.

"I have no diamond. I will not return."


	77. Shattered

The ground shook as Pink Diamond cried out. Her eyes flashed, and electrical discharges charred the sand beneath her.

"No! _**NO!**_ I will not have this. If you won't return, then I will obliterate you! All of you! Rose!"

She turned to confront Rose. "This is all your fault!" Her fists were clenched, her lips pulled back into a snarl. "You took her from me. You are supposed to _heal!_ But you're just a petty thief!"

She leaped to her feet and drove a fist into the ground where Rose was standing a mere second earlier. She'd put her weight into the strike, and the shock wave rolled out from the impact point, causing the ruby fusion to stumble and come apart. A deep crater remained.

"You vile creature! You think you can take what's mine? You think you can stop me from doing what I want with _my colony?_ How _dare_ you! Who do you think you are?"

The two gems lifted into the sky as Pink Diamond began to collect the energy of her gem into her hands. The air crackled as electrical discharges flew about, seeking a path to unleash their destructive power.

"I am Rose Quartz! I am as White Diamond made me! I preserve life! You take it! I seek to free gems to reach their _true_ potential! I seek to have _all_ gems be free! You and the other diamonds enslave my sisters! You tell them they have no say in their own destinies! That they are to serve you and your whims. Who gave you that right!?! Who gives you the right to shatter any gem you choose regardless of provocation!?! I AM ROSE QUARTZ!"

Pink Diamond thrust out a fist, and a bolt of white hot energy surged towards Rose. It struck her mid chest and flung her back, crashing her into the ground.

"Oh, you're just priceless! You!?! A deliverer!?! A beacon of freedom and purpose!?! I would laugh at your arrogance if it weren't so treacherous. You _deny_ gems their purpose! You hold them back from realizing their true worth. We're gems, you fool! We are made to purpose! Gems serve diamonds! Who are you to take that from them? Who gave _**you**_ that right!?!"

Rose stood and charged forward at Pink Diamond, her sword and shield at the ready. "I _liberate!_ Gems deserve more than what you and your sisters offer. I will not stand idle while gems are made and kept beneath your feet. You're evil! All of you!"

The battle raged for hours. Each gem hurled insults and accusations at each other between strikes. Garnet and Pearl tried to enter the fray, but Pink Diamond knocked each of them to the ground with a blow that was little more than an afterthought. Garnet came apart, and the three of them watched as the two titans battled.

"Sapphire!" Ruby was frantic. "What's going to happen!?! She can't possibly defeat Pink Diamond!"

Sapphire looked at her two friends. "I ... I don't know. I see an outcome where Rose is victorious, but I don't see the path she needs to get there. I ... I'm scared, Ruby! I'm scared! She can't win! How can she possibly defeat _that!_ " The three gems clung to each other. If Rose couldn't win, then their own fates were sealed. It was simply a matter of time now.

The rubies that had accompanied Pink Diamond fused once again and rushed to be by her side. It didn't matter how they felt, this was a diamond, and it was their duty to protect her, no matter the threat, no matter the risk. Rose Quartz must be defeated by any means necessary.

The conflict continued across the landscape as the two gems traveled far from the initial site of the battle. The other gems tried to keep pace but were gradually left behind. Only the ruby fusion was able to keep up, and even then it took everything she had to do so.

The sun rested low on the horizon as streaks of red began to appear in the sky. Rose knelt on the desert sand, her energy depleted. Pink Diamond descended and stood over her.

"So, here we are. We both knew this is where this was going to end up. Look at you - you're so weak I'm surprised you can maintain your form. It won't be long now, will it dear. Me? That was little more than an invigorating work out for me. You never stood a chance."

She put a foot against Rose and shoved, toppling her onto her back. Rose tried to stand, but couldn't. She needed more time to recover her strength. She settled for resting on one knee. Her right hand extended low, behind her body and out of Pink Diamond's view. She took a breath and made one last expenditure of energy. A weapon was summoned from her gem and formed itself around her right arm.

"You were a valiant opponent; I'll give you that. Determined. Brave. I'd say you were a worthy opponent as well, but we both know that's a lie. You and the rest of your type are beneath me. You asked who gave me the right to shatter? No one! I claim the right for no other reason than I can. And now, I'll show you how that works. Prepare yourself, Rose Quartz. It's time for you to die."

Rose looked up and shook her head. "No, Pink. I am not the one to be shattered this day."

Pink Diamond started to laugh when Rose suddenly struck out with the last of her strength. It came down to this one act. The breaking point weapon on her arm, cocked and ready, hammered forward and struck Pink Diamond in the center of her gem. It exploded under the impact, large shards flying out in all directions. Pink Diamond's projected form disappeared in an instant. A burst of light lit up the evening sky like a new sun then slowly, reluctantly, died away.

Rose knelt over the shards - all that remained of Pink Diamond - and turned to face the ruby fusion. Tears rolled off her cheeks, and her body convulsed with sobs of anguish. She pulled the shards to her and held them to her chest. She threw her head back and cried out. "Oh, Pink, I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!"

It took several long minutes for her to release her grief and finally speak to the ruby fusion that had watched the final blow. They trembled in fear. _What will she do next?_

"Go. Tell your companions what you've seen here today. Tell them this war is over! Tell them ... tell them to go home. No more. No more. This ends here. Do you understand me!?! _This ends here!_ Now leave me."

* * *

"Pink! Oh! _Pink!_ " White Diamond staggered back into her seat. "Rose! _What have you done!_ " The two other diamonds came into the room and grasped her hands.

"Mother! Pink ... she's gone! She's gone!" Blue fell to the floor at White's feet, her hands over her head as she cried out. Yellow collapsed in White's lap. "She's gone ... I ... oh, Mother! Pink! It was Rose, wasn't it!?! It had to be! We must retaliate!"

White Diamond put her hands on her daughter's head. "No. She has a weapon that can shatter diamonds. I will not risk you two. Remain here. Your weapon, the one you spoke of earlier? Is it ready?"

Yellow looked up. "The corruption song? Soon, Mother, soon."

"Make it ready. This is your one priority, do you understand? I want that weapon as soon as you can make it available."

Yellow stood and wiped the tears from her face. A terrible expression consumed her. "Yes. I will see to it if I have to do it myself." She turned and stormed out of the room.

White Diamond lowered herself to the floor and lifted Blue into her arms. They sought comfort in each other's embrace. White stared out the window at the planet below. _You took Pearl from me and now Pink. I will take everyone you love from you in return. And then I will see to it your precious planet is destroyed. I swear, Rose. If I do nothing else, I will make you pay for this._


	78. The Invitation

Steven stepped out of his mother's room with Connie and took in the scene before them. Lapis was sitting on Peridot as the little gem scratched at the floor trying her best to get free.

"I'll kill him! Get _off,_ Lapis! He has it coming!"

Garnet was standing between the two gems and Lion while Amethyst was rolling around the floor holding her sides as she laughed hysterically.

Lion for his part was sitting on his haunches looking at Peridot through overly innocent eyes.

"Let me _go!_ Lapis! Get off!"

Steven looked at Garnet, and she just shrugged. "All I know is I looked up, and Lion was carrying Peridot around by the scruff of her neck."

"Oh, don't you pretend you didn't know what you were doing, you pink menace! Amethyst! Where's that leash! He's a wild beast!"

Amethyst sat up and started to speak, but all that she could manage was a snort. She fell back onto the couch and started kicking her legs in the air.

"Peri," Lapis said trying to calm her friend. "He was just having a little fun. He didn't mean any harm by it."

"Oh, sure. Drag the peridot around by the neck. Ha ha ha." Amethyst drew a long breath and seemed about to say something, but couldn't manage anything coherent.

"It's always the peridot! You mangy beast - you're just lucky I don't have my limb enhancers!"

Steven looked at Lion and put his hands on his hips. "Well? What was that about?"

Lion just huffed and curled into a ball on the floor. Steven could have sworn he saw the overgrown kitten stick out his tongue at Peridot.

Steven turned to the little green ball of fury. "Peridot, it won't happen again, I promise." He gave Lion a scolding look with that last. Lion just ignored him.

"Lion ..." The great beast finally grunted what Steven assumed was agreement and he turned back to Peridot.

"I don't know what got into him. But, can you overlook it this time?"

Peridot didn't answer directly, but she seemed calmer, so Lapis let her up. Peridot sat next to the fireplace and glared at Lion. "I'll overlook it this time, Steven, but next time I'm using my metal powers." Lion gruffed as if stifling a laugh.

Peridot's eyes started to get large again, and Steven sought around for a change of subject when the warp pad began to hum. He was torn between relief at the distraction and worry over who might be arriving.

* * *

A beam of light dropped to the warp pad and figures could be seen arriving in the stream. It collapsed, and two pale gems stood in its place.

"Spinel," Steven said cautiously. "Um, Peridot," the said in greeting to the other gem on the pad. Multiple gems of the same type were always confusing for Steven. The gems always seemed to know who you meant, but he usually got lost trying to keep it straight.

"Um, why are you here?"

"Our diamond has requested you return with us to her location. She's been lost in thought over the data she received when she shared this one's experience when you fused with her."

The pale peridot looked embarrassed at the memory. It was such an intimate act, with a diamond no less! And she did it in front of everyone. She didn't didn't know what to say and was reluctant to make eye contact with Steven and Connie. They, for their part, began to blush at the memory themselves. Spinel continued, ignoring all of this.

"She seems to have reached a conclusion. She's asked that we retrieve you."

Connie spoke up. "What conclusion was that? What does she want with us?"

"She didn't say. She only instructed us to come here and request your presence." She looked around the room at the gems assembled. They all seemed ready to object. "Please, Rose. Come peacefully. None of us wish to battle over this but you know I cannot return without you."

Steven raised his hand. "Yes. I'll go." Connie nodded in agreement.

The rest of the gems look at them questioningly. "Steven ...? Are you sure?"

Steven turned to Garnet. "I didn't have time to tell you, what with Lion and all," he gave the beast a sharp look. "But I spoke with mom again. We both did." He nodded at Connie. "She didn't answer all my questions, not hardly, but I now know that I must do what I can to heal Pearl. I ..."

"What _we_ can, Steven," Connie interjected adamantly. Steven nodded.

"Yes. What we can do to heal Pearl. I don't know why and I don't know how, but I must try."

He turned back to Spinel. "We're ready." The stately gem bowed out of respect and relief. She gestured to the warp pad in invitation then addressed the other gems in the room.

"I'd ask you not to follow, but I know better. We're headed to the lunar base. Follow if you must, but please do not interfere." Connie collected Rose's sword, and she and Steven joined Spinel on the pad. Spinel formed her arms into a diamond symbol and disappeared into a column of light.

They appeared at the other warp pad and headed up to the central station. Mother was seated, awaiting them. A second peridot, with a distinct green tint, sat next to her. She looked up and smiled as her sister took a seat next to her. Mother gestured with her hand and Spinel bowed then departed, the floor sealing behind her. Mother smiled at Steven.

"It's such a pleasure to see you two again. But ... " she held up a hand before either Steven or Connie could speak. "But - before we talk, there's someone I'd like you to meet first."

She looked up at the ceiling as an opening appeared that led to the upper section. "Dear? Could you come down for a moment? There's someone here to see you."

Steven and Connie looked up then jumped as Yellow Diamond descended the stairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it was bound to happen. The continuing story as it unfolds on the show proper is beginning to diverge from this AU more than I can keep up with. I will try my best to say true to that narrative, but from this chapter forward (actually, if I'm being honest here, a few chapters back), this fic will continue to diverge sharply from the official story. Such is life, I suppose.


	79. Distraction

Mother leaned in and whispered conspiratorially to Steven and Connie.

"I don't think she's going to be happy to see you, so you should probably go ahead and fuse now. It'll really make her mad, but you don't stand a chance otherwise."

She leaned back into her chair and gestured to the massive yellow gem. She mouthed "good luck," then settled in.

Connie and Steven instantly joined hands and fused. Stevonnie emerged from the light and immediately drew her sword. She looked at Mother in disbelief then back to Yellow Diamond.

"You!" Yellow Diamond bellowed then turned to Mother. "What's the meaning of this! Why did you bring this ... _thing_ here!?!"

Mother smiled serenely and answered. "Dear, it's time you moved past this. You need to get this out of your system. Rose is here. Talk to her. It's time to let go of your grief."

"Grief? _Grief?_ You talk to me of grief? Who do you think I am! Blue!?!"

"No, love. You're you and you are in pain. Don't think I haven't noticed. I've been patient long enough. You need to deal with this." She widened her eyes in supplication and gestured to Stevonnie.

"Oh, I'll deal with this!"

"Yellow!" Mother called out, her eyes blazing. "I won't interfere with you but understand one thing very clearly. I need Rose. _And_ the human - you must not shatter. If you do, your pearl will be adrift without a diamond of her own. I will crush your gem to dust with my own hand if you disobey me in this. Do you understand?"

Yellow Diamond glared back. "What's the point, then! What else is there?"

Mother tsked. "I never said you had to be polite, dear. You need to handle this in your own way. Do what you think is best. Just - don't - shatter."

Yellow Diamond turned her attention to Stevonnie. "Fine. Then I'll get satisfaction some other way."

Stevonnie jumped back as Yellow Diamond reached out to grab her. The two combatants bounced around the room with Yellow having the better time of it. Stevonnie was much smaller than Yellow and was way over matched in strength, but she could move much better in the low gravity. She was able to hold her own using her shield and bubble but it was clear where this was headed. It was just a matter of time. Mother watched for a brief moment then leaned down. Yellow Pearl had entered the room with her diamond but had gone unnoticed by all but Mother.

"It'll be okay, dear. Trust me," she reassured the small gem. She turned to the peridots at her feet.

"You recall what we spoke of?" she asked. They nodded. She looked over at the battle then turned back. "Get ready. It'll be time soon."

The two peridots nodded then stood and faced each other. They reached out, touched each other's gems and brought them into harmony. This was still a new experience for the young peridot, and it took her breath away. The two gems glowed as they waited.

Mother watched intently as the battle raged. Yellow Diamond struggled with the admonition not to shatter, but her anger was beginning to consume her. Mother waited as her sister's passion overwhelmed her reason. This was dangerous, but if she was right, essential. Timing was critical now. She would hate to lose her child, but her Pearl was more important. It was imperative that she save both of them.

Yellow cried out and grabbed Stevonnie, and they clinched. Her self-control was near its breaking point. Each combatant began to glow as their passions and fears grew. Mother was on the edge of her seat, her hands on the peridots. She watched with intense concentration then suddenly cried out.

"Now! Go!"

The two peridots moved instantly. The paler of the two leaped forward to join the fray and initiated a fusion between herself, Yellow Diamond and Stevonnie. The other peridot turned and gripped Yellow Pearl in her arms. Mother watched with bated breath as her plan began to unfold before her. _Will this work?_ She had no idea.

The room erupted in light as the clinched gems merged. The little peridot also began to glow, and she merged with the pearl in her arms. Mother watched as the two lights merged into a single, new fusion. She looked around in confusion then suddenly as she formed, she came apart again. Steven and Connie fell out as did the two peridots. Mother waited while her daughter reformed.

Mother stepped forward, gripped her sister's hands and pulled in close. "Yellow? Did it work? Are you ... are you whole?"

Yellow Mother looked around. She turned back to her sister. "Mother! My Pearl ... my Pearl! She's with me again! We're united! How! What did you do!?!"

Mother released her sister's hands and sat down. She looked drained.

"Don't thank me, love. Thank her. Oh, she separated. Thank them, then. And the peridots, of course."

Steven and Connie looked at each other in confusion. "Huh?"


	80. Yellow Mother

Steven turned and faced Mother. "What was that about! You nearly got us killed!"

Mother waved him off. "Oh, posh. Don't be so dramatic Rose ... Steven. Oh, whatever. You know who you are. I told Yellow you were important. You are! I wouldn't let her harm you. Well, maybe harm you but you're tough, I figured you could handle yourselves."

Steven looked at Connie in disbelief then turned back enraged. "You don't know that! There's no way you could have known that! Yellow tried to kill us!"

"Rose. What did I just say? You were perfectly safe. Besides, you performed spectacularly. Just look at Yellow! She's aglow! And it's all thanks to you and these two special peridots. So calm down and take a look at the larger picture. I thought I made you better than this. Oh, right. You're half human. Not the better half from the sounds of things."

It was Connie's turn to sputter.

"Oh, come on. I'm _kidding!_ It was your human half that I was counting on in the first place! Hah!"

"I ... just fused ..." The little peridot looked up at her sister. "I ... fused. With a ... diamond? Oh!" She suddenly dissipated and her gem clattered to the floor of the room. Her sister looked nearly ready to join her. She bent down and collected her sister's gem.

"Uh, Mother. Can we be excused now? Please?"

"Yes, dear. You may. Take some time off, both of you. As much as you need. You have my blessing. And, my thanks. You were wonderful. Both of you."

The pale peridot curtsied as best she could and walked on unsteady legs to the opening in the floor that had been restored. She looked over her shoulder as she started down the stairs, lost her step and rolled down to the level below. Mother stifled a laugh then turned her attention back to Steven and Connie.

Steven couldn't help himself and had to laugh too. Connie was resolute, but she finally yielded and joined him. Mother waited patiently until they collected themselves. She turned and spoke to her sister.

"Yellow? Dear? How do you feel?"

"Mother! It's ... it's been so long! I'd forgotten what it was like!"

"I know. It's the same for me when I'm White. We lose something of ourselves when we're apart. But you're whole again. Now, don't be rude. Say thank you to our guests. They made this possible, after all."

Yellow Mother turned to Steven and Connie. "Rose. I ... don't know what to say! I've been so filled with hatred for you ever since ... ever since Pink. I'm still angry! My sister ... but that wasn't you, was it?" Steven shook his head.

"No. You're Rose, but you're not. Is that right?" Steven nodded. "I ... I don't know how I feel, Mother! Rose, what did you do? How did you restore me?"

Steven looked at Connie then at Mother. He turned and addressed Yellow.

"I don't know. Honest. I ... I was just trying to stay alive. You were going to kill me, I could tell."

Mother interjected. "Yes, she was. It was necessary, I'm afraid. Your fusion as Stevonnie with Peridot was the key. We shared the experience, and that was when I began to understand. You needed to fuse with Yellow, as Stevonnie that is, so that your human side, your organic side, could give her what I couldn't. You made her whole, Ro ... Steven. Damn, that's confusing. How do you do it so effortlessly child?" Connie just shrugged.

"You healed her, Rose." She threw up her arms in exasperation. "That's it. I'm done with the name thing. You're Rose. Just ... whatever. Anyway ..." She drew a breath and continued.

"You needed to fuse with Stevonnie. When I made you, I gave you part of my essence, but I couldn't give you what you needed. I didn't understand at the time, but I do now. Every time I made a new gem, I lost a small part of myself and each gem that followed suffered. By the time I made you and Blue, there wasn't enough of my organic self to allow you to fuse with your pearl once you came apart."

Her expression dropped as she continued. "I'd hoped that a pearl wasn't needed for Pink. I hoped that if I changed the conditions under which she was made, she be able to function without a pearl. I was desperate, and I was wrong. So terribly wrong. And we all paid the price for my stupidity. All of us." She looked at Steven with that last statement.

"But then I did the unthinkable. White - poor, deluded White - was so lost without Pearl that she enthralled her. How she thought that would work, even I don't know. In trying to save her, we discovered the key. It was an accident, a fluke. But Peridot, that wonderful, beautiful, insatiably curious gem, wanted to understand Stevonnie. It was an afterthought. A passing fancy, but she did it. And it revealed the answer."

She leaned in and looked at Connie as if seeing her for the first time.

"She's organic. 100%, pure, organic. Not even Rose here can claim that. Their ability to fuse allowed her to pass along to you what I could not. She gave you the organic essence that I couldn't, Yellow. And, being organic, it's trivial for her to regenerate what she's lost. I'd wager she's already done it."

Connie blushed from the attention. Steven beamed and held her hand.

"You were the problem, Yellow. There was no way you'd ever fuse with her. I had to deceive you, distract you somehow. And, of course, how would I possibly bring your pearl into the equation? So many problems, so many variables. And then I remembered that little trick the peridots like to use. Their ability to harmonize their gems. So I took a gamble. I ... risked your life, Yellow. I'm so sorry, but I meant what I said. If you'd killed either of these, your own life would have ended."

Steven cringed when he heard that, and he looked at Yellow Mother. How would she handle that revelation? To his surprise, she was rather unperturbed about it.

"Yes, I understand. Without them, your pearl is lost. I would have done the same."

Mother nodded. "So I put your greatest desire before you, your chance to shatter Rose Quartz, and then denied you permission to follow through. I seasoned that with a little goading about your suppressed emotions and, well, you see how it turned out."

She chuckled. "My true stroke of genius was the peridots. You were so unaware of anything but your desire to shatter and your desire to obey my dictate; you were exposed. She jumped in and fused with you, and you were defenseless to prevent it. Oh, you should have seen the look on her face when I approached her about the possibility. I nearly dissipated myself; I laughed so hard. That would have been embarrassing, let me tell you."

She wiped a tear from her face. "But, she understood, so while you two were in your death struggle, Peridot jumped in and fused with you. And of course the two peridots became entangled in the fusion due to being harmonized, so the other one fused with your pearl then you all just became a big jumbled mess. Oh, dear, you should have seen the look on your face when you fused. It was adorable."

She sat back in her chair once again and turned to Steven. "As for you, well. What can I say but thank you! I have my daughter back, whole and well. Better still, this ability will never be lost to her. You'll need to hang around while we figure out how to get Blue into the mix."

Steven started to object, and Mother instantly cut him off.

"Rose, dear, understand. I'm being polite here, okay? I'm not asking. We'll work out the arrangements for food and ..." she looked at Connie. "Well, we'll figure out the other arrangements. But you can't go back home. Not yet, anyway."

Steven erupted. This was too much. "WHY!"

Mother answered simply. "Because, dear, it's not safe for you. The enemy has found me, and they'll be here soon. I can't protect you if you leave. They will find you, kill you and maybe those you love. No, you must stay. I insist."

Steven looked at Mother then at Connie. She just shrugged. He turned back and agreed. "Okay, Mother. I'll trust you. But I have one more question for you. How are we going to heal Pearl?"

"I don't know."


	81. What Have I Done?

"Ma'am, there's been activity at the domicile site."

Colonel Isabelle Pereira looked up from her report and examined the status screen. Every known gem site, no matter how seemingly inconsequential, was being monitored around the clock by a constellation of satellites launched for just that purpose.

A small red dot highlighted a small house on the eastern coast of the US. A second dot glow where the lunar artifact was being monitored.

"Looks like we had another visitor. Any activity from the ground team?"

"No, ma'am. We checked in, and they state only that there was a glow coming from the structure. No one has stepped out. Wait ... one second." The tech checked a readout and entered commands into a computer terminal. "There was a second surge. And ... yes, a third immediately after that."

Col. Pereira creased her brow. "What was that? More visitors?"

"Perhaps. Or maybe they just returned where they came from."

"Yeah. Maybe. Okay, contact the CGT and make sure they are monitoring this. I want to know before they do if anything else happens. I'm heading out to report this. Call me the instant anything happens. No delays."

"Yes, ma'am."

* * *

"Steven? What happened up there! There was all this racket! We tried going up, but they stopped us. Even Lion! They did something, and he collapsed. He's still out."

Steven looked at his friends, his expression unreadable. "Yeah. Mother thought it would be funny if Stevonnie fought with Yellow Diamond."

"Yellow Diamond!" Garnet fell back. "What? That actually _happened?_ I saw that ... but, no way! Wait! How did you survive?"

The look on her face told it all. She had witnessed the battle between Rose and Pink Diamond, and it had terrified her. If anything, Yellow Diamond was a far greater threat. Stevonnie has Rose's gem, but still ...

"No, Garnet, it's okay. It's ... complicated. Yellow Diamond fused with her pearl. I think she's called Yellow Mother now or something."

Garnet flinched and pushed Amethyst behind her as Yellow Mother began to descend to the lower level where they were gathered. The expression on her face showed her panic as she stared at Steven.

"Steven ..."

"Garnet!" Steven cried out. Garnet was like a wild animal trapped in a snare. She looked around frantically, seeking any path of escape.

The massive gem paused at the bottom of the steps then spoke. Her voice filled the space.

"Garnet. Calm down. I'm not here to shatter you. I'm ... past that."

Garnet looked up, her eyes betraying her disbelief. Amethyst cowered behind her, clinging to Peridot. Only Lapis stood to confront Yellow Mother. Steven was struck by her resolve and the lack of fear in her eyes. He suddenly realized how important he was to her. She would give her gem to protect him. He teared up at the thought.

"Garnet! Lapis! All of you! Listen! It's okay! Really! She's not here to harm us!" He stood before Lapis to draw her attention to him and off Yellow Mother. She'd extended her wings and had pulled her lips back into a snarl.

"Lapis! It's okay! I'm safe! We're all safe! Stand down! Please!" He stopped short as he realized that everyone was staring at something behind him. He turned and nearly fell back.

"Pearl! What?"

Pearl stood before them with White Diamond next to her. She looked weak. "Garnet, Lapis, listen, it's okay. Steven's right. Yellow Mother isn't here to harm you." She gripped White's arm for support. "I can't talk long. This thrall ... Mother didn't want to come apart, but I convinced her I need to talk to you. To reassure you. You're safe. It's going ..."

Her eyes rolled back, and she began to collapse. White Diamond pulled her close, and the two gems glowed. Mother stood in their place once the light receded.

"I didn't want to do that, Garnet. It was risky. But Pearl convinced me it was needed. Listen to Rose; she knows what she's talking about. You're safe. All of you are."

She tried to sound reassuring, but her voice betrayed her. She looked at her sister then suddenly collapsed to the floor and began to cry. Steven and Connie staggered back. They'd never seen this. From the looks on the faces of her gems, they hadn't either.

"Oh, Pearl! What have I done? Oh, dear, sweet Pearl. I'm so sorry." She put her hands to her face and sobbed. Yellow Mother reached down and took her hand. "Mother, come with me. Let's return upstairs. Here," she said helping Mother to her feet, "I have you. Come with me." Yellow Mother looked at the others gathered around her then escorted her sister back to the upper level.

Connie and Steven looked at each other and began to cry as well. "Steven! What are we going to do! Pearl! "

Steven stared at the ceiling to where Mother had departed.

"I don't know, Connie. But whatever it takes, I swear, I'll do it."


	82. Madam President

President Sarah Kaur stood over the casket of her predecessor. He'd died unexpectedly in his sleep, and she was suddenly thrust into the seat of one of the most powerful offices on the planet. Conspiracy theories raged, correctly pointing out all she or others in Washington had to gain by his passing. It was infuriating but pointless to argue over it. All that happens when you feed the trolls is you guarantee they'll come back for more.

Tears welled in the corners of her eyes as she ran her fingers over the cloth flag draped over the ornate wooden box. Members of the military honor guard stood in silent vigil as the secret service kept everyone else out. This was a private moment for her and perhaps her best friend. _You finally are getting your sleep, Joseph. You've earned it._

She lingered for a few minutes then signaled she was ready to go. It was time to allow the nation to resume paying their respects to a fallen hero. It wasn't a term she used lightly, but if anyone deserved to be called a hero, it was him. She moved to a place where cameras and microphones waited to greet her, held a brief press conference then returned to the White House. She was still getting used to calling the Oval Office hers.

She was greeted by her national security team. She'd make changes in due time, but for now, she'd keep them together.

"Madam President," Secretary Marsh stood as she walked in. It used to irritate her until she realized it was her status of President, not her gender, that motivated him. He was old school to his core and she, like President Carr before her, learned it was pointless to try and change him.

"Preston, gentlemen. Good afternoon. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Gems, ma'am. There's been an uptick in activity."

"Again? Where? What are they up to now?"

"Well, so far they haven't come to Earth. None of the gem sites are showing activity apart from the primary domicile site and even there, no more than usual. Evidently, Mr. Universe and Ms. Maheswaran are bringing food and the like to the house. Mr. Universe even stops by to chat with our surveillance team."

"You allow that?"

"Yes, ma'am. Our agent on the ground assures us there's nothing to worry about."

"So, what's going on then?"

"They're collecting in orbit. Ships are arriving non-stop. There's a bloody armada breathing down our necks, and it's getting larger as we speak!"

"How long has this been going on? Why am I just hearing about this."

"Ma'am, it's only been today. All of a sudden, they are popping out of nowhere and entering our orbit."

"Why? Any ideas?"

"They're obviously preparing for an invasion."

"Now, Preston, we don't know that." Robert Colfax joined the conversation. "I don't see it that way. Their tech is much greater than ours, and if they wanted, they could come in and just take us out. No, they're assembling for some other reason."

Secretary Marsh threw up his hands. "Look, I'm not going to rehash this with you again. We took them out once; we can do it again! Fire our nukes. Now! Get the Chinese to launch theirs! Now, before it's too late!"

Robert began to respond, but President Kaur held up a hand.

"No, I don't think so. I agree with Robert - this is strange. They know what we can do. Why present us with such obvious targets? I want to wait."

Secretary March began to sputter, but President Kaur put up a hand. "Go to DEFCON2. Update the targeting information and talk to your counterparts. Be ready, but hold off. I don't want ..."

Robert Colfax looked up from his phone and interrupted. "Madam President, it seems we're about to get an answer. One of their ships has broken orbit and is landing near the UN building."

* * *

The small ship approached the ground, extended several legs and landed. Military units were hastily assembled and all civilian personnel ordered to leave the area. The world watched and waited then drew a collective breath as a door opened and two gems emerged, one blue, the other yellow.

The two gems were unknown to most onlookers. Dr. Wilcox's successor was consulted, and he concluded the gems were aquamarines. They were small. Each had a small tear-shaped gem on her body, and they seem to be arguing over something.

"You do it."

"No, she told _you_ to do it."

"But you've been here before."

"I don't care. Just do it!"

"Fine." The small yellow gem looked out over the crowd and brought out a small, white flag.

"We surrender."


	83. Surrender

"We surrender. We give up. It's done. Over and out. Um, you win. Take us to your leader."

"What are you doing!?!"

"I don't know! I've never done this before!"

"'Take us to your leader?' Really? What was that all about?"

"Um, their diamond. Duh. I mean, that's who we need to surrender to."

"They're humans! They don't have diamonds! Their control system is more diverse than ours!"

"Oh, well excuse me. I didn't realize I was talking to a peridot!"

"Well, maybe you should try it some time! You might learn something."

_"GIRLS!"_

The two gems jumped to attention. A new gem with a glassy eye had appeared behind them without their noticing.

"I'll take it from here. Get back to the ship before you start a war."

"Yes, ma'am," they said in unison then returned to the ship, bickering as they went.

The gem turned to the humans and bowed. "My apologies. I had hoped the smaller gems would seem less threatening. I forgot how they tend to become blithering idiots in each other's company. So, let's try this again."

She drew herself up and held her hands out from her side. "My name is Zircon, and on behalf of my diamond, we surrender. We put ourselves at your mercy."

* * *

"She _what!_ She surrendered? What!?!"

"Yeah. She surrendered. Unconditionally. The little - what was she again? An aquamarine? She actually pulled out a white flag! Where did they learn about that?"

"The humans." Douglass Blount had joined the conversation. "Either Steven or Connie. Maybe both."

"So, now what? Do we admit them to the UN? Are you people crazy!?! This is a ruse. Nuke them while we can!"

President Kaur looked at her Secretary of Defense. "No, Preston. I don't think so. There's more to this. Why surrender at all? Why not wipe us out instead. Or just leave? Why surrender? And why to us? Turn that up. What is she saying?"

Secretary Preston took a remote and turned up the volume on the television. A reporter was talking into a handheld microphone, trying to find cover from a brisk wind. The same scene played out pretty much across all of the major networks.

"... don't know who she is. All we know is she was preceded by two smaller gems that some are calling aquamarines and gave her name." She put her hand to an ear piece. "What? Oh. It's Zircon. What's that? I'm sorry, I can't ... oh. Right. She's being questioned by UN security personnel as you can see behind me ... no, I don't have any names yet ... we're working on getting a crew in there to try and listen ..."

President Kaur hit the mute button. "What does she mean? Why isn't this going out?"

"National Security, ma'am. We don't want to reveal ..."

"What? Are you shitting me? This is going to get out! You can bet your paycheck on the fact someone is recording this. I'm getting enough grief over Joseph's death as it is. Let's not give the trolls anything else to complain about. Let a crew in there! Let them all in! This isn't something we can keep to ourselves. Christ!"

Secretary Marsh sat down on the couch and fumed as Director Colfax made a phone call. He restored the sound to the broadcast.

"... about 5, maybe 6 feet tall? It's hard to say; we're too far ba... what? Really! John, let's go! They're letting news crews in. What? ... I don't care! Leave it! Let's go!"

The image began to shake and bounce as the news crew pushed their way closer. The gem was standing serenely as two humans were pressing her for answers.

"... rnet told me you wouldn't believe me. Fair enough, so let me explain it this way. We're at war with another species that is much more of a threat to us than you'll ever be. They've come after us literally for as long as we've existed. We've tried to fight them head on, and we've tried to run away. And still this war rages. They won't stop, and now they've maneuvered us into a corner.

"There was an ambush that took out a large number of our ships. We can no longer run, and we have nowhere to run to. We're making our stand against this enemy. Either they will destroy us, or we will destroy them. There is no longer a middle ground. This," she gestured around her, "is where we will fight this enemy. You can join us, or you can join them, or you can just stand back and watch. It's up to you, but don't be deceived.

"This enemy has no love for you. They won't believe you if you claim to be neutral parties. Nor will they accept your help. Instead, they will see you as a ploy to distract them. And even if I'm wrong - if the Cryptids decide not to target you, your planet will be destroyed. You have two choices: fight with us or die with us. It's up to you."


	84. Alliance

"Why should we believe you?"

"Why would I lie?"

"Perhaps we should kill you. Put a bullet in your stone like that other one."

"You mean shatter me? You could. Go ahead, if you want. I won't stop you. This war is coming and if we don't win - if you don't join us - then I'll die anyway. I'm here to form an alliance, that is my mission. If I can't, then I will have failed my diamond and I don't deserve to live."

The ancient gem clasped her hands together and waited. The two men interrogating her conferred then made calls to their handlers. Hours passed as they tried the silent treatment. They resorted to further threats of violence when that failed. They appealed to logic, to compassion, to fear. Nothing swayed the gem. She'd said her piece, she'd made her offer, and now she waited.

A new pair of interrogators took their places in hopes of tiring her out. It didn't work. They yelled. They ridiculed. They threatened to shatter her companions. She just looked at them. They threatened to nuke the ships in orbit and on the moon. She didn't respond. More hours passed, then days. Finally, President Kaur had seen enough.

"Let's go. I want to talk to her myself."

It took another two days before she got her way. No one was willing to let her anywhere near this threat. She ended up threatening to resign as President before they finally backed down. Even then, she had to sign the document. For about 30 seconds, she wasn't the President. Her security detail ended up taking the document, tearing it up and burning it in a fireplace. Her Vice President - who'd technically held the office during that time - actually cried as he watched it burn.

* * *

She met with the gem outside per her request. She hoped it would be taken as an act of good faith.

"Zircon? Is that right?"

The gem just looked at her.

"I'm President Kaur. I'm the president of the United States. I want to discuss this alliance you spoke of."

Zircon smiled then held out a hand. President Kaur looked surprised by the gesture.

"Is this wrong? I was told that holding hands is a custom for your ... what is that term again? Your ... country?"

"No, it's fine. We _shake_ hands, actually. I just didn't expect the offer." They shook then walked over to a table.

"Sit please," the president said as she took a seat herself. Zircon paused as if considering then took a seat across from her.

"So, this enemy that you speak of. Who are they?"

"We call them the Old Ones. They call themselves Cryptids. They're organic, like you."

"Why are they fighting you?"

"We don't know. The war between our kinds began even before we existed." She took note of President Kaur's confused expression. "Never mind. Perhaps one day, if we survive, we can discuss this."

"Your enemy, the Old Ones, when will they be here?"

"It's hard to say. Not that long ago, I would have said maybe a year by your reckoning. But their tech has improved significantly, and we can no longer predict. Any time, though I'd say we have time to make preparations."

A light suddenly appeared and streaked across the sky. President Kaur and her detail jumped at the sight. Zircon closed her eyes and muttered under her breath.

"Mother! Knock it off - that isn't helping."

She turned back to others. "Don't mind that. That's just Mother's sense of humor. She's ... a handful at times."

"Mother?"

"Yes. Our leader. You probably know her as White Diamond ... it's complicated. She was just showing off. She's something of a tease and a hell of a flirt, by the way. Don't let that put you off should you meet."

"This alliance. What do we get out of it?"

"A chance to survive."

"And you? What do you get out of this?"

"The same."

"So. Why did you involve us? Why are you bringing this hell down on us?"

"We need you. We can't defeat this enemy alone. There was no one else we could turn to. There has never been. And no time to get there even if there were."

"So you'd just drag us into your war, risk our very survival as a species? Without even given a say?"

"I don't understand. You have a say. You don't have to join us. You can even try to align yourself with our enemy. You have choices."

"But only one, if we want to survive."

"Yes."

"According to you."

"Who else is there?"

"How can we trust you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You tried to exterminate us once before."

"Millennia ago."

"You tried again not that long ago!"

"Yes, but we stopped."

" _After we attacked you with nuclear weapons!_ "

"Yes. And now we've surrendered."

"So!?! What does that matter?"

"Because, once this war is over, we will leave you in peace. We'll find another system to use. You'll be free of us forever."

President Kaur looked at the gem for several long minutes. She finally stood and nodded.

"Deal."


	85. Preparations

A ship emerged in a flash of light at the edge of the system. The central star was a pinpoint of light, indistinguishable from the rest. The ship released a fleet of probes and sent them around the system. The gas giants seemed likely as hiding places, but they came up clean. An asteroid belt offered plenty of opportunities for an ambush, and it took time to establish there were no threats. That left the rocky inner planets.

_"Lord Klatos."_

"Speak, Sandu. Have you found her?"

_"Yes, Sire. She has taken a defensive stand around the third planet. Her sister, the yellow one, has brought what remains of her fleet. They await your arrival."_

"And the blue one? What of her?"

_"Her ship has departed her planet. We lost her. Her sister is more formidable in combat, but she is the more elusive. We believe she is headed to join the rest."_

"Very well. Monitor, but take no action."

_"Yes, Sire. As you will."_

* * *

_"My diamond."_

"Yes, child?"

_"They're here. In the system, near the outer edge."_

"How many?"

_"We've found one ship and several probes. They are searching and will detect us soon if they haven't already."_

"And the leader? Klatos? What of him?"

_"He does not appear to have arrived, my diamond."_

"I see. Then we have time. It's me he wants most of all. He will have his followers hold off until he arrives. Continue with preparations."

_"Yes, my diamond."_

* * *

_"Madam President - we've had a communique from the gems. They state their enemy has arrived in our system. They say that their leader, 'Klatos,' isn't with them. They expect any attack to be delayed until he arrives."_

"That was quick. The civil defense preparations, where do we stand?"

_"We're progressing rapidly. We've excavated underground bunkers with the help of the gems. They have individuals who can manipulate earth, water, and air with what looks like no effort at all."_

"Sounds like the old myths. 'Earth, Water, Air' - all that's left is 'Fire.' These are such powerful creatures. How much worse must their enemy be if they can't defeat them!"

_"Food is the hold up for now. We're preparing survival rations as quick as we can. The gems are unable to help with that."_

"Yes. So I've been told. And the energy requirements? Electrical? Where do we stand on building the underground nuclear power plants?"

_"We're moving rapidly on this front. Our experience with nuclear submarines and the like is paying huge dividends."_

"Are we moving people in yet?"

_"Yes. Several sites have been completed, and populations are being relocated. We're hitting pockets of resistance - there are a lot of people who either don't believe us or prefer to take their chances above ground."_

"It's just as well. We can't accommodate everyone in any event. Don't press. Make the offer, and if people don't want to join us, leave them be. Fewer mouths to feed that way."

_"Yes, ma'am."_


	86. Eve of Destruction

The Cryptid fleet took little time to arrive once the location of White Diamond was confirmed. Klatos sat brooding as he watched the monitor from his command ship.

"This planet. Why here? Why would the gems choose this location to make their stand? I don't like it."

"Yes, Sire. This does seem to be an unlikely location. It is teeming with organic life. Intelligent life. There are artificial satellites in orbit around the planet. Primitive at best, but nonetheless. If anything, this planet should have been selected as one of their colonization sites."

"Give them time. I'm sure they'll start ripping it apart eventually."

"Sire? Are you sure? This planet's indigenous life will be destroyed if we proceed. We will be committing genocide."

Klatos abruptly stood and closed the distance between his throne and his advisor in a blur of motion. He grabbed the smaller Cryptid by the collar and pulled him in close.

"Don't speak to me of genocide! I know all about it. I was there! I alone prevented the extermination of our kind when these vile creatures attacked. We were given no warning, no justification and no quarter."

"Yes, Sire. But these are innocents in our struggle. They played no role."

"They harbor the enemy! They are hardly innocent!"

"Perhaps they had no choice, Sire."

"They have a choice. They can choose to survive or be exterminated. As we did. As _**I**_ did! Don't speak to me of these creatures. If they die, they die. I will have that one's gem. Leave before I forget myself and kill you as a warm-up exercise."

"Yes, Sire." The small Cryptid bowed as he departed.

* * *

Klatos returned to his room. He walked over to his resting chamber and pondered it. It looked like a sarcophagus more than a bed. His body was becoming frail, more so than the chamber could regenerate. It was a matter of time before it too would give out. They always do. He pressed a panel on a small console and spoke.

"Sandu, bring me Sencha."

He sat in his chair and continued to brood as he waited. The two Cryptids arrived a few minutes later and waited for him to acknowledge their presence.

"Sencha."

"Yes, Sire?"

"This body is becoming old. What is the status of the replacement?"

The Cryptid kept his eyes lowered as he answered. "It is in the incubation chamber, Sire. It will be ready soon."

"How soon?"

"A month, Sire. Two at most."

"A month. No more. See to it."

"Yes, Sire."

The two Cryptids started to leave, but Klatos called Sandu back. He waited until the scientist departed then spoke.

"The war will begin soon. This will be the final battle. It has been tens of thousands of years, Sandu. I'm ready to finish this."

Sandu nodded. "Yes, Sire. As we all are."

"I knew your ancestors, Sandu. They served by my side as you do today. Your family has been most loyal."

"It is the pride of our clan to serve, Sire."

"'Pride.' Not 'duty.' How diplomatic." He chuckled, something he rarely did. "Once this war is finished, it'll be time to establish a new planetary home. We've lived in space as we've chased the enemy for too long. We will end this war, and when we do, I desire a base from which to establish a new empire."

"Yes, Sire. I've thought the same."

"This planet is where we will establish my court. Where better than at the site of our greatest victory? Take care not to destroy it. Keep its life intact. Except for the intelligence that has begun its expansion into space. I will tolerate no rivals to our rule. Identify them and exterminate them."

"Yes, Sire," Sandu answered, frowning to himself.


	87. War

The war began with no warning. The Cryptids were not known for their patience, their leader even less so. They gathered their forces and surrounded Earth. They closed off any avenue of escape then began their onslaught. Both sides knew this ancient conflict would end here on this most unlikely of planets.

These were space faring species, and they were in their element in the deep vacuum. This gave the gem forces an advantage as few Cryptid pilots were accustomed to operating in planetary orbit. Gem ships used Earth's gravity well as they jockeyed for position. They dropped into the high atmosphere to bleed off momentum then burst out again behind their target. It was a simple tactic that the Cryptid fighters struggled to adapt to.

Humanity watched with morbid fascination as flashes of intense light streaked across the sky. Multicolored lights lit up the clouds like a fantastical light show to be followed by ships, or what remained of them, crashing to the ground leaving fiery impact craters. More than one person thought that they would have paid good money to see such a spectacular show. Minus the death and destruction, that is.

Panic began to set in as the scale of the conflict became clear. People rushed to evacuation shelters, but it was too late for many. The shelters were full, most well over capacity, and doors began to shut. Eyes flooded with tears as they watched people, many of them friends and neighbors, become stranded in a war zone, their deaths a near certainty.

Most of those stranded outside remained in their homes with no idea what else to do. The rest hid wherever they could, fighting over what shelter, and food, there was. Everyone, sheltered or not, waited in fear as the war raging above them. These were fearsome creatures with technology that far surpassed anything humans could bring to the fight.

The combatants inevitably found their way to the surface, and human armies finally joined the fray. The wholesale death of gems, Cryptids and humans beggared the imagination. The war was hard fought and bitter. Neither side yielded as each side fought to the death. The human contingent was rapidly becoming aware they had picked the right side in this battle. Whenever Cryptid and humans met, the humans were slaughtered. It didn't matter if they were civilian or military - humans were attacked with the same brutality as the gems.

Human armies retaliated in kind, going after any Cryptids they encountered. Missiles, augmented with gem war tech, took out enemy aircraft without discrimination or pity. The war was brutal and horrific on a scale the humans couldn't imagine. The horrors of their own wars paled by comparison, and there was no doubt their own extinction was in the balance.

* * *

The war waged with ever increasing intensity and horror. Gem preparations ensured every Cryptid victory carried a heavy price. Any other enemy would have reconsidered, but Klatos would not be dissuaded. His fury at any suggestion of pulling back was feared more than anything the enemy could dish out. More than one dissenting voice was replaced with the screams coming out of Klatos' torture chambers.

The two sides clinched, traded deathly blows and withdrew only to immediately re-engage. Slowly, inexorably, inevitably, the Cryptids took the fields of battle. One by one, gem and human armies were decimated as the superior numbers of the enemy prevailed. It came down to one final battle, one final thrust and it would be over.

The gem army, what was left of it, was corralled in the southwest quadrant of the North American continent. Human armies collected behind the gem's defensive perimeter and readied their final defenses. Humans and gems made their preparations then waited. It would be soon now. Gems used up the last of their weapons, and finally, the war was at its close. All that was left was for Klatos to shatter the gems of the diamonds.

* * *

It was eerily quiet. The cacophony of unrelenting war had sounded nonstop. Gems and humans alike forgot what silence sounded like. Still and fearful, they'd watched as the last of their forces were defeated. A ship appeared in the sky and headed towards the final showdown. It set down in the center and the doors opened with a hiss. A figure emerged and sniffed the air. It seemed repulsed by what it smelled.

Klatos stepped forward, sneering in triumph as he approached the remaining gem ships. It was almost over. He felt it in every bone of his body. He approached a group of humans that had assembled in a final, desperate gesture of surrender. They offered no resistance as they faced their conqueror. A small contingent stepped forward and knelt before Klatos in a futile plea for mercy.

Klatos looked about the battlefield, ignoring the humans before him. "Where is your Mother!" he cried out to the gems in their ships. "Send her out, and your deaths will be swift! Resist, and I will make your deaths slow and lingering!"

The ships remained silent as he waited, which merely served to infuriate him further. "Send her out now! I'll wait no longer."

He drew his weapon and gestured to the humans before him. "Kill them," he commanded to his forces. "Offer one last proof of the futility of this! Show them our resolve!"

A Cryptid advanced and stood before the vanquished humans. He drew his weapon and readied it, then stopped. A tear formed in the corner of his eye as he lowered the blaster then turned to face Klatos, years of pent up anger towards his tyrannical leader exploding with unexpected force.

"No! This is wrong, Klatos! These humans are no threat to us! They are innocents caught up in a war they never sought and could not escape! This is evil! I will not stand for this! No longer, Klatos. Kill them if you must, but you will have to kill me first!"

Klatos sputtered incoherently at this unexpected act. He recovered and turned to confront the Cryptid.

"Sandu! Do as I say! Kill them! All of them! Now! I will tolerate no rivals! They are hardly innocent! They fought us at every turn!"

"Because we gave them no choice!" Sandu trembled as his outrage consumed him. "They are trying to survive! Nothing more! They are not our enemy!"

Klatos raised his weapon and fired. Sandu disintegrated into a pink mist. He turned the blaster to the humans when another voice spoke up.

"No, Lord Klatos! Sandu is right! This war lost its meaning generations ago! The gems haven't been a threat for thousands of years! We've made no offer of peace, no attempt of diplomacy!"

Klatos turned to confront this new challenger. "Sencha! You too? How dare you speak of peace and _diplomacy!_ " He spat the word with dripping disdain. "They attacked us! They sought to eradicate _us!_ We didn't start this war! _They did!_ "

The Cryptid advanced towards his Lord. "No, they didn't. Their creators did! Yes, _my Lord _, I've studied the old records. I know our history! The gems did not start this war. We defeated those who did! We eradicated every last one of them. These gems are their children! We do not visit the sins of the father on the children! _It is not our way!_ It has never been. _You are the evil that had fed this war! You are not worthy to lead us! _"____

____Klatos fired again, and another Cryptid ceased to be. He took aim at the small group kneeling before him and fired. Once more, the air was filled with the stench of burning flesh._ _ _ _

____The rest of the Cryptids erupted in a fury and rushed their leader. They quickly disarmed him and held him down. They bound him and returned him to their ship. One of his generals stepped forward and approached the humans. He gestured to one and had her stand._ _ _ _

____"This war is ended, human. This is too much, even for us. We've deluded ourselves into believing the gems deserved this fate, but never have we accepted the justification for your slaughter. It was one step too far. This coup was long in coming, and I'm ashamed that we allowed it to come this far before we stood up for our convictions. We are a warrior species. We fight for glory. There is no greater honor for a Cryptid than to die at the hands of a worthy enemy."_ _ _ _

____He looked about the battlefield then continued. "You are not that enemy. You have never been worthy of this war. You are weak, pathetic creatures and there is no glory in killing you. You have never been a threat to us, and your genocide is beneath us. We will not kill you this day. Perhaps, when you are a worthy opponent, we may re-engage you in battle, but not today."_ _ _ _

____He called out to the gems ships. "You, on the other hand, have more than proved your worth! You have been a glorious enemy, and we make no apologies for our war with you. But you've lost. We are warriors first, but mercy is not unknown to us. We will spare the last of you."_ _ _ _

____He turned and gestured to the Cryptid army. "Return to your ships. We will need to select a new leader, and there is much to discuss. This enemy is vanquished, and there is nothing left for us to do except destroy what's left of our honor. That is not our way. This war is over."_ _ _ _

____The assembled Cryptids nodded, collected their gear and left. One ship remained, and the Cryptid general called out. "We are prepared to accept your surrender, Mother. Let's end this senseless conflict once and for all."_ _ _ _


	88. Aftermath

"So, uh - Mother is it? The war's over? Just like that?"

"It appears so, Sarah. At great cost, but yes, it's over."

"'At great cost.' Aren't you just the dandy. You brought this hell upon us. You put us in the crosshairs of that, that _maniac_ and for what? So you could survive? You risked our literal extinction! That vile creature was evil, and the galaxy is better off without him, but I see little difference between the two of you."

"But, Sarah! We needed you! We would have been destroyed ourselves without your help!"

President Saur stood and approached the massive gem before her. Her rage overrode any intimidation she felt.

"We were pawns! Pawns you were willing to sacrifice! _You put our entire species in danger!_ You're as evil as that Klatos or whatever you called him!"

She clinched her fist and slammed the wall. "I want you and your kind _off my planet!_ Do you hear me? I want you gone! Or was that promise a lie?"

Mother sighed and looked away. "No, Sarah. That was no lie. We're safe. _You're_ safe. There is no reason to remain here. We'll need time to repair our craft, and then we'll leave as promised. We'll remain here and out of your way in the meantime."

"See that you do," President Saur said as she stormed out of the room. "And _stay_ away. If we never meet again, it'll be too damn soon."

Mother turned and watched as she left, the door slamming closed behind her as if to punctuate her words.

* * *

"Well, that went about as I expected," Zircon said as she accompanied Mother to their ship. The last of the Cryptid fleet was departing, the terms of surrender harsh, but preferable to what might have been.

"So, we're to return to our home system then?"

"No," Mother sighed. "There nothing left there for us. We'll find another system outside of Cryptid space."

Zircon clasped her her hands behind her back. "And the humans?"

"We'll keep our word, of course. We'll remove ourselves from their system. We'll watch over them from a distance, of course, but we'll leave them to their future. They at least have one."

The two gems entered the massive diamond ship. It was heavily damaged, and gems worked tirelessly to rebuild it. They waited until they entered Mother's inner sanctum before resuming their conversation.

"And what about us, Mother?" Zircon asked once they were alone.

"We'll find another planet and settle down as we agreed."

"That wasn't my question, Mother, and you know it. What about us?"

"I know child; I was just hoping you wouldn't ask. I don't know. I fear I only delayed the inevitable."

"So, I'm right then. We're going extinct."

"Yes, child, we are. There were so many gems lost in this war, and there isn't enough of me left to rebuild our species. I'm depleted, Zircon. There are no more generations left in me."

"And yet you were willing to risk the entire human species for, what? A few more millennia? How can you possibly justify that? It was immoral. It was evil. Are you truly any better than Klatos?"

Mother flashed in anger at Zircon, but quickly let it go. "I did what I had to, Zircon. I did what I had to do for our survival."

"Survival? How, Mother? How will we survive?"

"Rose. She is all that's left for us." A tear ran down her cheek. "She's all that's left for Pearl. I only hope she can do what can't be done."


	89. The Plea

Steven jolted awake, his eyes wide. He pulled up his shield and looked around frantically. "Connie!"

Connie came into the room and took his hand. "Steven! I'm here! I'm here. It's okay. We're safe. The war's over, remember? I'm with you."

Steven looked up at Connie, and his shield disappeared. "Yes. Of course. I ... it was just a dream. I heard you calling to me. You sounded scared."

Connie cradled Steven's hand and sat next to him. She started to speak, but Steven cut her off.

"But it wasn't a dream, Connie. It was ... it wasn't you I heard. I heard someone else. She was scared, Connie. I ..."

Garnet rushed into the room. Steven and Connie had been effectively imprisoned in one of the bunkers to keep them safe. It was a condition Mother had imposed before she agreed to protect humans from the Cryptids. Garnet and the other gems refused to leave his side, so they all ended up sitting out most of the war deep underground.

Not that it mattered much. The sounds of battle were never far off, and they never stopped. The walls shook as they were bombarded setting off clouds of dirt and debris that choked the lungs and burned the eyes. Power fluctuated wildly under the onslaught, and they went days with nothing but flashlights to see by.

Fear became the one constant in their lives. They obsessively followed the casualty reports at first, but it became a blur after a time. They eventually stopped listening - it was all just too much to bear. 

They were forced to relocate as the war became increasingly desperate until they ended up in Mother's diamond ship, their final refuge. Then, suddenly as it began, the war was over. It was surreal in how abruptly it ended. PTSD is a bitch, however, and Steven was finding it hardest of all to adjust. This dream wasn't helping.

"Steven?" Garnet asked as she took in his expression. "Are you okay? We heard you cry out."

"Yes, I'm fine. It was a dream. A voice was calling to me."

"Steven? Who was this voice? Who did you hear? Was it Connie."

Steven stood and walked over to a table where he helped himself to a donut, his favorite breakfast food. "No. I thought it was at first, but it wasn't. I know the voice, but I can't place it. It's female, that's all I know."

"Was it Pearl?" Connie asked.

"No. I thought it might be, but ... I don't know. Maybe ... no. Oh, forget it. It's gone now anyway. What about President Kaur? Is she still demanding we leave the planet with the rest of the gems?"

"No." Greg had entered the room unnoticed. "It took some convincing, but we somehow managed to get her to agree to letting the Crystal Gems remain. You too."

"Dad!" Steven rushed over and hugged his father. "That's wonderful news! How did you manage it?"

Greg shrugged self-consciously. "Ask Priyanka." He looked at Connie with a sheepish grin. "Your mother can be very adamant about getting her way when she gets it in her head she wants something."

"Tell me about it," Connie replied, rolling her eyes.

* * *

Steven thrashed in his bed. The voice was calling to him again.

" _Steven!_ "

He woke abruptly and looked around as he rubbed the confusion out of his eyes. This was no dream; he was convinced of that. Then it hit him - someone was trying to dream talk to him!

He settled into the bed and willed himself back to sleep. He floated in the empty expanse of his dream world as he sought out the voice. He waited patiently for whoever it was to find him.

" _Steven!_ "

He turned and looked but saw nothing. "I'm here. Who are you?"

" _Steven? Is that you?_ "

"Yes! It's me. Who are you? Why are you calling me?"

" _Steven! Oh, Steven - I found you! You must hurry! We're running out of time! I'm killing her, Steven! I can't stop! You must help us!_ "

Steven started thrashing in his sleep again. The urgency of the voice was scaring him.

"Who are you? Where are you? How can I help you?"

" _The chest Steven. Do you know where it is? You must find it. Bring it to us. It's the only way! Steven? Steven! I ... I'm scared, Steven! We're dying! You must save us! Please! Bring the chest!_ "

Steven jolted awake. He was trembling violently. _Who was that? The voice ... it's so familiar._

He ran into Connie's room and shook her awake.

"Connie! Wake up!"

Connie rolled over and looked up at him. "Steven? What's wrong? Why are you shaking like that?"

"Connie! I was dream talking!"

"Who with? Lapis?"

"No, no. It was that voice again. She sounds really scared, Connie. She says she's dying. I have to do something!"

"Who, Steven? Who's dying?"

"Pearl!"


	90. Blue Mother

"Pearl? I thought you said it _wasn't_ Pearl."

"I know Connie. It's Pearl, but it isn't. I, I ... It's Pearl. I know that now. But she's changed. It must be the troll"

"thrall"

"that's making her sound differently."

"What does she want, Steven? How can we save her?"

Steven turned and walked over to Lion sleeping on the floor. "Wait here, Connie. I need to get something." He stepped into Lion's mane who awoke abruptly as Steven entered then exited a minute later carrying a small chest. It looked like something from a pirate movie.

"What's that?" Connie asked. Lion gruffed as he gave Steven a dirty look then curled up and went back to sleep.

"It's a chest that my mom left in Lion's mane."

"What's in it?"

"I don't know. I don't have a key that will open it. I thought I found one once, it was in one of Lion's hairballs, but it was too big. That was for ... something else."

"That video your mom left you? Cora?"

"Nora. You know about that?"

"Yeah, your dad told me. He said it was an old tape from before your parents knew if you were a boy or a girl."

"Yeah, but that's beside the point. Pearl said I needed to bring this chest to her."

"Why?"

"I don't know - she just said to find it. I don't think she knew where it was."

"Well, Steven? What are we waiting for? Let's find Mother."

* * *

They walked down the hall towards Mother's sanctum and stopped when they saw Yellow. She was standing with one hand on the door as tears ran down her cheeks.

"Yellow? Are ... are you alright? What's wrong?"

"Hello ... Connie, is it? It's Mother. She's locked herself in her room, and she won't come out." She touched the control panel next to the door with a pained looked on her face.

"She's not letting anyone in, either. Not even her sisters."

Steven looked at Connie, and she nodded. He placed the chest on the floor then they took each other's hand and fused. Stevonnie stepped out of the light and looked up at Yellow.

"Let us try," she said. Yellow looked at her for several seconds then lowered her hand. Stevonnie stepped into her palm and Yellow raised her to the level of the control panel. Stevonnie put her hand on the panel, but nothing happened. She looked up at Yellow who shook her head and put her back on the floor.

"I knew it wouldn't work. That door cannot be opened if Mother doesn't want it to be. It was a long shot that your organic qualities would change things."

She clasped her hands and looked down the hallway. "There is one thing you can do, however."

Stevonnie nodded. "What is that?"

"Blue is here now. Mother had her remain in hiding during the war. She hoped that should Klatos win and succeed in destroying us, Blue might be spared. It was a vain hope, we knew this, but it was a last ditch gambit. But the war is over now, so she's returned. Come with me. You must heal her as you healed me."

* * *

Yellow led the way to Blue's door then called out. "Blue. It's me. Let me in; we need to talk."

There was a long pause, and Yellow was about to speak again, but the door slid open first. Stevonnie followed Yellow into the room and stood awestruck at the opulence of the space. It was beautiful.

Yellow walked over to Blue and took her hand. "Sister, please. You must allow this. Look at me - I'm whole again! I'm reunited with my beloved, and we are one. You can do this as well."

"Why should I allow this vile creature help? How can you countenance such an abominable act? She's ... organic. And she shattered Pink! I ... can't trust her, Yellow. I can't do this."

"Blue, listen to me. You are not yourself. I know that now. You've forgotten what it means to be joined with your beloved." She reached down and lifted Blue Pearl in her hands.

"Look at her, Blue. She's suffering too. You both are."

Blue took her pearl in her hand and looked at her, her lips quivering. "Pearl, my beloved, what do you say? Do you trust her? Do ... do you want to do this?"

The tiny blue gem curtsied then smiled. "Yes, my diamond ... my love. I desire to be reunited with you more than anything. Even this is worth it."

Tears overflowed Blue's eyes, and she slumped back into her chair. She looked at Stevonnie then nodded. "For my beloved then. Let's do this."

Stevonnie approached the two gems then bowed deeply. "Blue, I'm so sorry for what my mom ... what Rose did. But that wasn't me. I can help you like I helped your sister," Yellowed nodded in affirmation, "but you must trust me. We only want to help. Fuse with me, Blue. Fuse that you might be healed."

Blue nodded then held out her hand. Stevonnie took it and closed her eyes. Blue followed suit and the two gems began to glow. Stevonnie reached out and took Blue Pearl's hand, and the three lights began to swirl about one another until there was only one light.

The fusion lasted for several minutes. Yellow began to fret when suddenly the room was flooded with light and Stevonnie fell out onto the floor. The light that remained began to coalesce until a figure emerged.

Blue Mother looked out into the room with new eyes. "Sister! Oh! It's ... it's so ..."

Yellow laughed and took her sister in her arms. "I know, Blue. I know! Isn't it wonderful!?!"

Blue returned the laugh and nodded. "You were right; I wasn't myself. I stopped existing eons ago. I finally understand what you've been trying to tell me."

She turned and looked at Stevonnie for what seemed an eternity. She finally nodded and smiled. "Thank you, child. You are not at all what I expected. I am in your debt."

Stevonnie started to speak when a deafening shriek echoed through the ship. They turned to the door when Mother's Beryl burst in, her eyes frantic.

"It's Mother! She's ... her door opened, and we looked in, and she suddenly screamed. She's dying!"


	91. What Couldn't Be Done

"It's Mother! She's dying!" The large beryl pleaded with her eyes for the diamonds to follow her. They ran to Mother's door and looked in. She was slumped on the floor. Yellow and Blue rushed in and lifted her into their arms.

"Mother! Oh, Mother! What's wrong!?! How can we help?"

She pushed them off then tried to stand but failed, falling to her knees. She began to shake violently as a light exploded into the room. It receded revealing two figures. Pearl was standing shakily as White reached out to her.

"No! We unfused! Pearl! Why!?!"

Pearl looked at White. "My love, I'm dying. If you remain with me, you'll die as well. I can't allow that. We must be separate."

White took Pearl in her arms. "No! Not without you! I ... I won't do that again. I can't! I was so wrong to abandon you Pearl! I was so wrong! I can't ... I ... Oh, Pearl!"

Pearl caressed the cheek of her beloved and looked at Stevonnie.

"The chest. Did you find it?"

Stevonnie nodded and recovered the chest from the hall outside the door. She brought it in and held it out. "Here, Pearl. I have it."

Pearl smiled weakly then reached up to her gem. It glowed, and a key slowly emerged. She handed it to Stevonnie.

"Here, open it. Rose gave this to me for safe keeping. I never knew where she hid the chest."

Stevonnie took the key and opened the chest. It contained two large, pink shards. She removed them and looked at Pearl. "What are these?"

"This is what's left of Pink. Rose saved the shards after shattering her. She hoped she could restore her someday, but she never could."

Stevonnie looked at the shards with large eyes. "Is ... is she still in there? Is she still alive?"

"No," White spoke through her sobs. "No - it's been too long. Her programming is long gone. Those are just inert rocks now."

Stevonnie looked at Pearl. "Why did you want me to bring these to you? How will this help?"

"There's one last chance, Stevonnie. Maybe ... but you must restore the gem. Heal it, Stevonnie. Put it back together."

Stevonnie looked at Pearl. "Heal it? It's broken! I've never healed a shattered gem before, only cracked ones!"

"You were Steven then. You're Stevonnie now. She can help you, reinforce your healing. You must try, Stevonnie. There's nothing left for me now."

Stevonnie took the shards in her hands then nodded. She put them together then spit on them. Nothing. She did it a second time, and the gem began to glow. She repeated the gesture again, but the gem refused to join.

Stevonnie began to cry as she looked at Pearl. "Pearl! I ... I can't! What are we going to do?" She felt the gem quiver in her hands, and she looked down. Her tears were dripping off her chin and onto the broken shards. She watched as the gem began to reform. She held it to her cheeks, covering it with her tears then watched as the gem finally joined.

She looked at Pearl then back to the gem. "What now, Pearl? What do we do now?"

Pearl looked at White and smiled. "You know, don't you? I never dared hope Stevonnie could pull that off, but she did. There's a chance now. We must free her, White. We must set her free if we are to survive."

White looked at the gem in Stevonnie's hands in astonishment. She looked up with renewed hope in her eyes. "You ... you did it! I ... how ... Stevonnie! You did what couldn't be done! Come, we must hurry!"

She took Pearl and Stevonnie into her embrace once again and the three of them fused.


	92. Inner Space

Steven looked around. Connie was there as were Pearl and White Diamond.

"Mother? Where are we? Why aren't we fused?"

"This is me. My creator joined her consciousness with the diamond/pearl matrix she'd been working on giving rise to this space. This is where Pearl and I actually exist."

Steven looked around. "This space. It's so ... vast! It goes on forever!"

"Yes. One of the results of our creator's research was to give her access to an alternate dimensional space. It is the source of our gem's power. We can't go there with our bodies, but we can access it like this."

"Huh? Like this? What is 'this'?"

"It is what it is, Steven. Our gem connects to another dimension. We can access it with our minds, but not with our bodies. It's inside us. It's like your Lion friend. You can enter his space, but he can't."

"But, there's so much here! It's like a world of its own!"

"That's how we managed to survive. Our creator's mind could not be contained within the gem alone; it had to branch out. She accessed this space and expanded her - I guess you'd call it her subconscious mind. These are her dreams, Steven. But here, they're as real as you and me."

Connie spoke up. "But what happened to Stevonnie? Why aren't we fused?"

"You are. But in this space, our individual minds can express themselves. There is only a single physical entity present in the room, but here, we can talk and interact as individuals."

"Oh. Um..."

"Don't try to understand dear. I gave up eons ago. As I said, it is what it is. Just accept it."

"Mother? Why do you ... why do you look so old?"

"Steven! Oh, Mother, I'm so sorry. That was rude, Steven!"

"It's okay dear. He's right. I am old. This is my actual appearance. You see me as I was before I became a gem. What you see outside the gem is merely my projected form. It's an illusion - a more ... flattering presentation. I trust you can overlook a little vanity."

"But Pearl - she looks the same."

"Yes. My daughter. She died in the final assault on my planet, and the memory of her appearance is preserved in Pearl. Like a living portrait."

" _Hey!_ People! Focus! We're running out of time here! Or have you forgotten?"

Steven and Connie jumped. A figure was approaching. They tried to focus on her features as she came closer, but the harder they tried, the harder she was to see. They found that they had to watch her from the sides of their eyes. Looking directly at her was too disorienting.

"White, why are you wasting time? You know what we're up against."

"It's okay dear. I know you're in a hurry, but this human child here has stabilized our fusion. For now. But you're right; we should probably proceed."

Steven tried to look at the figure once again but finally gave up. "Um, hello? And you are?"

"I'm the thrall."


	93. Thrall

"You're who!?!"

"I'm the thrall, Steven."

"But ... but, you can talk! Are you sentient?"

"<sigh> I can and I am. What's your point?"

White put her hand on Steven's shoulder. "Rose, this is the thrall. She's the reason we're here."

"But she can talk!"

"Yes. My peridots crafted this thrall for Pearl and myself specifically. They were very, very careful to get everything exactly right. But, they - no, we - forgot something vitally important. Pearl and I are the First Fusion, the Mother Gem. We are not like other gems."

"But she can talk!"

"Rose. Take a breath. I'm getting to that. This thrall was designed for a diamond and her pearl. But not just any diamond and not just any pearl. She was designed for us and we're different, _vastly_ different, from any other gem."

Steven looked at Connie and seemed about to repeat himself again, but held off.

"This thrall took immediate hold of Pearl and sank its hooks into her mind ..."

" _Hey!_ You're making me out to be some kind of monster here! 'Sank its hooks.' Please. I only did what I was designed to do. There was no malice. And would you just _stop_ with the whole 'it' thing? It's degrading."

"Yes, dear. You're right of course. The thrall - we need a name for you. 'Thrall' here took hold of Pearl's mind - _as she was designed to do, not her fault_ \- and became integrated into Pearl's consciousness with a speed no one anticipated. But it was more than that."

Connie spoke up. "She integrated deeper than anyone expected as well."

"Yes, child. Very good. Her template - don't look at me like that! I have to use the correct terms here! You were little more than a template at the time! That's just the fact of it. Oh, great, here we go ..."

The thrall was flitting about the space erratically. She was hard to see before, but now she was like a ghost that was everywhere and nowhere at once.

"Thrall? Dear? Listen to me. You have to calm down! You're upsetting our guests and we need their help if we're going to get through this! Please!"

The thrall began to retake form. "Yeah, okay. Finish what you were saying. I'll try to keep it together."

"Thank you, dear, I know it's hard. Please try to be patient. Anyway, Thrall's template was a near perfect match for Pearl's and she ... well, she became sentient. It was a cru ... an early form of sentience. She was aware of herself but little more. But that was enough to create problems for Pearl. The poor dear held out as best she could, but it was a lost cause."

White took Pearl's hand. "As Thrall became more self-aware, she began to push against Pearl's mind. Not just controlling it, but fighting it. It began when Pearl resisted telling me about you. As Stevonnie, I mean. I had to activate the thrall to ... her full capacity. That's what started it all.

"That was when Thrall first became aware. And the more she became self-aware, the more she battled Pearl. I eventually had to fuse with Pearl permanently to stabilize her mind. Together, we contained Thrall. We battled her, not realizing what she was becoming. It was terrible. For all of us, but Thrall especially. Imagine coming into awareness only to have to fight for your very survival from the start."

White reached out and caressed Thrall's cheek. At least, that's what Steven assumed she was doing. She could evidently make out Thrall's form better than he could.

White continued. "It was only recently that we finally realized what we were doing. And to whom. It reminded me of Pink and her emergence. It ... it tore at my stone. She was born into this existence with no framework and no context with which to make sense of her reality. It must have been terrifying."

"It was, White. I can't begin to explain it. I feared you, both of you, from the start. And why wouldn't I! You were trying to destroy me!"

White teared up and nodded. "Yes. And I deeply regret it. And you - you dear, sweet darling. You had every reason to hate us, but you didn't. You were the one to realize that if nothing changed, you'd destroy Pearl. That you'd be her death. And mine. You were the one to reject that. You restored hope where hope could not possibly exist."

"What do you mean?" Steven interjected.

"I was the one that reached out to you in your dreams, Steven. I knew about the shards from Pearl's memory. I told them about it but even then, they didn't believe. I pushed away and called to you for help."

"That's why I couldn't place your voice at first."

"Yes. And you heard me and brought the chest."

Pearl had been silent as the others spoke. She now spoke up. "Yes. Thrall reached out to you. She's the one that explained what has to be done. She's the one," Pearl looked at White for a second before continuing.

"Thrall was the one who said we had to break the fusion, White. She wanted to save you. I resisted at first, but I finally relented." She turned back to Steven. "I knew White would object, but Thrall was right. We could not risk her life as well. I'm dying, Steven. I didn't want White to die as well."

"Yeah, that's on me I'm afraid," Thrall said. "As much as I hate to admit it - and I _really_ don't like admitting this - I'm driven by my programming. I must consume Pearl. I have no choice. And if I'm allowed to continue, she _will_ die."

"So will you, dear."

"Yeah, that too. Look, I told you - put me in a shard. Any shard! I'll ... I'll be okay. And you and Pearl will live!"

"And you will die! I will not allow another of my children to die!"

"You don't know that!"

" _YES I DO!_ You will die if we transfer you to a shard. You don't want to die! I know you don't - this whole plan was your idea! Why suggest it if you're ready to throw away your life?"

"Yes ... well, yeah. Fine. You're right. I want to live. But not as a killer. You must keep your word, White. Let me die if you can't save yourselves!"

White stared with tight lips at the shadow that was Thrall. She held her gaze for a long time before taking a breath and turning to Steven and Connie.

"That's where you come in."


	94. Organics

Connie shook her head. "Wait, I'm confused."

"What's bothering you, child?"

"I thought ... that old gem, the one with the glass eye ..."

"Zircon?"

"Yeah, her. Didn't she say the problem was Pearl is an organic gem?"

"She did, and she was right - but not for the reason she thought. My peridots understood that issue and went to great lengths to mitigate it. It's why the failure was so unsettling - it should have worked. The most obvious answer is that Pearl's organic nature was too unstable to handle a full on thrall."

White shifted in her chair. "The real problem was that Thrall was _too_ well designed. The peridots did a superb job of compensating for the issue. Thrall's template - dear, please. You know I mean no slight by that. That's just how it was at the time. Thank you. Thrall was too well aligned with Pearl, and she began to mimic Pearl's programming.

"It was then that Pearl's organic nature kicked in and ... complicated things. Pearls and diamonds are rare among gem kind. We're carbon based. Our molecular bonds are less stable than the silicon gems. Or even the metallic gems. Consequently, our programming can adapt much easier than other gem types."

Pearl spoke up. "Didn't you ever wonder how it was I was so skilled at so many things, Steven? Of all the gems you've known, I've always been the most versatile in both my abilities and my intelligence. I could be outmatched in any given skill by a stronger, quicker or smarter gem, but no single gem could match my range."

"That was her organic nature, Rose. She adapted quickly to the ... to Thrall. Thrall in turned modified her attack. Thrall's programming wasn't designed for any given gem type, but rather it was heuristic. She's designed to adapt to her hosts to control them. Pearl's ability to resist Thrall was the catalyst that drove her to sentience."

Connie sat quietly as she listened. "So, she's not a gem then? She's something else. You said she was 'born into this existence' - was she? 'Born,' that is?"

White leaned in and looked at Connie. "You humans _are_ a remarkable life form. I'm beginning to understand your fascination with them, Rose. Yes, she is the first of our kind ever to be born and not made. Well, 'emerge' might be more on point. She is unique in any case. It is one more reason why I can't let her die. She's special and deserves to live."

Steven spoke up. "But there's more to this story, isn't there? My mom's gem."

White smiled. "Yes, dear. Your ... mom's gem. She told you, I gather."

Steven nodded. "Yes. She said she has a carbon center to her gem. She's partially organic."

"It's true. I took a second chance with you after I realized Pink's ... condition. I made your gem from a pure seam of rose quartz. It was perfect. I injected my essence into you along with Pearl's. I modified the process, however.

"We use up the native organics of a planet to make gems, and we purge it once the gem is sufficiently developed. It's always been seen as a contaminant. I reversed that with you. You retained the organics from us and this planet. It is the source of your healing, Rose. And it is what allows you to fuse with this human child. You are unique as well."

"It's why I have an affinity with plants."

"You do? How remarkable!"

Connie raised her hand. "How are you killing Pearl, Thrall? I mean, you're not doing anything. We're having a normal conversation. Pearl seems fine."

"That's thanks to you. You've noticed you can't see me, yes?" Steven and Connie nodded as if relieved to have that fact out in the open. "That's because I'm only partially here. Part of me remains active in Mother's gem. That part of me contains the programming imperative to consume Pearl's mind. It's kind of like breathing for you - it just happens without your ability to fully control it.

"I can't control that part of me either. Well ... maybe a little, but ultimately not. You joined the fusion Connie, and you've added a kind of protection for Pearl. Your organic matrix is acting like a buffer, and my ability to consume Pearl has been degraded because of it. That's what's allowing us to have this conversation. But it's only a short reprieve before my heuristics compensates. Sooner or later, Pearl will die if I'm not removed."

White nodded. "Given enough time, Thrall could even consume you, Rose. Your gem half, anyway."

Connie's eyes got wide, and she grabbed Steven's hand. White raise one of her hands in reassurance.

"It's okay dear. It would take many of your lifetimes for that to happen as things stand. She's safe."

Steven stood and walked over to Thrall. Try as he might, he still couldn't bring her into focus. "Okay, we're in." He looked to Connie who nodded her agreement. "So what's the plan?"


	95. Life or Death

Thrall flickered briefly. "Not so fast, Steven. It's not that easy. There's a real risk to you. The only way to save Pearl is to do something that has never been attempted. We can all die here. So don't be so quick to volunteer. You need to understand what we're up against."

"Rose," White said. "Listen. Thrall's right. This is risky. We must remove Thrall from our gems. She is part of us, and in time, she will become us. And once she does, we'll be gone. Once her purpose is done, once there is no other gem sentience to control, she will shut down. Our only chance, for all of us, is to extract Thrall and place her in another container."

Connie looked at Steven then returned to White. "Is that why you had us heal Pink's gem?"

"No. We didn't need that if all we're doing is removing Thrall into another shard. Any shard would do. We'd need her to leave voluntarily for this to work, but all she'd need to do is transfer her mind to another container. Once that is done, you as Stevonnie could inoculate Pearl from what would be left of her. Like what you did for your amethyst friend."

"But I'll likely be destroyed in that case. The shard will be inert. Dead, if you prefer. I won't be able to integrate myself into the crystalline matrix because it won't be able to host me."

Connie's eyes were large. "Oh, Thrall! You ... you'd do that? For Pearl?"

"It ain't my first choice! But ... yeah. I won't kill - not if I can prevent it. I don't want to live my life with that burden on my conscience. And, in a very real sense, Pearl is my true mother. My sentience is a reflection of hers. Allowing her to die would amount to matricide. I won't do that. If this is what it takes ... then, yeah. I'll do it."

White continued. "That's why restoring Pink's gem has given us renewed hope. That's not an inert gem. Not anymore. You somehow managed to restore the physical gem back to an initial state. It's like my gem before my creator transferred her mind to it. It can host Thrall."

"That's great!" Steven said, looking at Connie and squeezing her hand.

"Hold on, Rose. There's more to it. We don't have my creator's lab or her equipment. All we have is an initialized gem and no way to do the transfer. That's ... that's where you and Connie come in. You must be the conduit."

"Conduit?" Connie was becoming disturbed by White's demeanor.

"Yes. Rose. Listen. You must give up your gem. You can transfer your mind into Pink's gem. Unlike Pearl and me, you have a physical body. You can leave this fusion and project your mind into the new matrix. But once you do that, your body will start to die. You won't have long, Rose. It will need to be done quickly. You'll need to help Thrall move into the new matrix then extricate yourself back to your gem before your body dies."

Connie was getting scared. "But, it can be done. Right? I mean, Steven won't have to die. Will he?"

"Yes, child. It can be done. But Steven isn't the only one at risk here." White's eyes suddenly began to tear up. "You have a role to play as well, and you are also at risk if you do. You can remain part of this fusion. Rose will have to remove herself and transfer her sentience into the gem."

"And when I do ..." Thrall hesitated. "When I do, I will immediately attack Steven. He will be exposed, and I don't know if he'll be able to defend himself. If he can't, if I consume him, you'll be lost in this fusion with White without your connection to Steven. Your body will die, and your mind will be trapped here. Without a body of your own, your mind will die as well."

White continued, her voice subdued. "If you remain here, you will provide Steven with a buffer much like you are doing for Pearl. It may be enough ... but maybe not. You can leave this fusion, and if you do, you'll live, but Steven will die. If you stay, you could both die."

White looked at Connie and Steven with moist eyes. "This is what we're asking of the two of you. You can leave now, and we won't stop you. If you do, we'll die, but you'll survive. If the two of you do this, we'll live but you may not. I'm so sorry to put this on the two of you, but this is the only chance we have left."

Connie turned and looked at Steven, her eyes wide and her hands clenched. "Steven ... ?"

Steven had been watching Pearl for much of the conversation. She'd mostly remained silent with her head down.

"Pearl?"

"Yes, Steven?"

"What say you?"


	96. Committed

"What are your feelings on this Pearl?"

"Oh, Steven. Don't ask this of me! How can I possibly answer that!"

"I need to hear your thoughts on this, Pearl. I need to hear what you have to say."

"What is there to say? I want to live. I don't want Thrall to destroy me or my beloved. And ... and I agree with White. I can't abide the thought of killing Thrall. This isn't her fault, Steven. She is only fulfilling her purpose. How can we ... how can we allow her to die just for that?"

"And me? Connie? What about us?"

Pearl looked up with tears streaming down her face. "Oh, Steven! I can't bear that most of all! I lost Rose but found you instead. I was so stupid for so long, Steven, but I understand now. I ... I love you, Steven! I can't lose you too! I can't ... I just can't."

She draped herself across Steven's shoulders and cried. Her sobs racked her body as she clung to him as if he would disappear at any moment. He held her and looked over at Connie.

"Thank you, Pearl. But you're wrong."

"Wha ... ? About <sniff> what?"

"You never lost mom, Pearl. She's always been here. With me. You said so yourself. Don't you recall what you said in dad's van shortly after I was born?"

Pearl had a pained expression on her face. She'd nearly killed him. He was a helpless infant, and she came within a hair's breadth of removing Rose's gem. She pulled back at the last second because she knew this was what Rose wanted and she couldn't violate that.

" _'Everyone, calm down. Look. We can all see her. She's right there!'_ Those were your words, Pearl. Remember?"

Pearl sniffled and nodded.

"You were right. She _was_ there. She still is. You never lost her, and I never replaced her. We've both been with you from the start. You just couldn't see it."

He looked at Connie as he continued.

"This is something that mom would want. It's what _**I**_ want. I can't let Pearl die."

Connie looked at Steven with squinting eyes. "Steven? What are you saying?"

"Do you remember what I told you? That I would do anything to save Pearl? Well, I meant it. I'm doing this."

Connie was starting to get angry. She didn't like where this was going.

"What else, Steven!"

"I don't want your help."

" _ARE YOU **NUTS**!_ There's no way you're doing this by yourself!"

"Connie, I ..."

"No, Steven. Shut up. Just ... shut up! If you're doing this, I'm doing this! I am not going to stand by and watch you die, Steven! I am not going to tell your father that I could have saved you, but you wouldn't let me! _It isn't going to happen, Steven! Do you hear me? It isn't going to happen!_ "

"Connie! This isn't your fight! This isn't your responsibi..."

Connie closed the distance between them and slapped Steven as hard as she could. "Steven ... don't you _dare_ finish that thought! _You_ are my fight! _You_ are my responsibility! You are _everything_ to me! Everything, Steven! I'm not going to argue with you about this, and there isn't a damn thing you can do to stop me. I'm in this all the way. If you die, then I die. There's nothing to discuss."

With that, she burst into tears and joined Pearl and Steven in their embrace. White looked at Thrall and whispered. "Dear, I can't imagine better champions for your cause than these two. If this can be done, they will find a way. I'm convinced of it. Prepare yourself."


	97. Transference

Steven and Connie looked up as a new gem appeared. It was White's peridot, the one that crafted the thrall in the first place.

"My diamond! Oh! This place ... it's so ... wow! I don't know what to say!"

"Hello, Peridot. We can talk about this later if you like, but we have a task to perform. Did you do as I requested?"

"The harmonization with my sister? Yes. We're in sync. <hee hee> I'm sorry, my diamond. I need a second to reach out to her. She's _really_ being overwhelmed by all of this. The poor thing ... okay, she's doing better now. How can we serve you, my diamond?"

"We're going to try the transfer we spoke of. You saw Pink's gem. Will it serve our needs?"

"Oh, yes. I don't know what you did Rose ... er, Steven, but you created a perfect matrix. It's just like it was when we first initialized Pink Diamond. Oh! My diamond! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to bring that up again."

"No, dear. It's okay. This is important, so speak freely. Will Thrall be able to use it? Will she be able to express her sentience in the gem?"

"Thrall? You mean ... wait, it has a name?"

"Yes, I have a name, thank you very much!"

"My diamond? I'm sorry, but what's going on?"

"This is Thrall. She has achieved sentience."

"It _what!?!_ It can think for itself? No way!"

"Yes, way. And better than you can, from the looks of things. White, why are we wasting time here?"

"We're not, dear. No one knows of your existence as anything other than a program. Peridot here needs a second to come to grips with this. But don't take too long sweety. We are up against the clock."

"Of ... of course, my diamond. This changes things. I thought you were just going to try and transfer the thrall into an inert shard and let its programming terminate. But you want to keep it alive, don't you!"

"Yes, dear. But I need you to ..."

" _That's_ why you restored Pink's gem! It wouldn't be able to maintain its integrity otherwise!"

"Peridot! Listen to me! Her name is 'Thrall,' not 'it!' She is as alive as you or me, and we need to respect that. Call her by name, please."

The peridot looked at Thrall and nodded as if embarrassed. "Of course, my diamond. Sorry, Thrall. I was caught off guard is all. But ... wait. How are you going to transfer her into ..." Her eyes grew as she looked at Steven. "Rose? Are ... are you going do this?"

Steven nodded.

"But how ... ohhh, my sister! _I'm_ the anchor this time."

* * *

Blue and Yellow watched as the fusion of their sister began to glow. A bit of the light separated off from the rest then receded, leaving Steven in its place.

"Rose?" Blue asked, "What's happening? Where's your human friend?"

"I'm sorry Blue, but we don't have much time. The thrall has achieved sentience" the gems in the room gasped as one, "and we are going to transfer it into this gem. It's risky, and we're running out of time, so I can't talk. Peridot? Do you know what to do? Are we ready?"

The little peridot, pale with a hint of green, nodded. She was trembling but clearly resolute. "Sleep, Steven. I will open a portal for you to Pink Diamond's gem. The thrall will enter your gem through me. You must be ready. As soon as you feel her enter your gem, you must immediately enter the portal and transport the two of you to this gem."

Steven nodded and laid down. "Steven? Are ... are you sure about this? Your body ..."

"Yes, Peridot, I'm sure. Let's do this."

Steven closed his eyes and willed himself to sleep. He immediately entered his dream talk state and waited. The little peridot calmed herself then place a hand on the two gems. She smiled then reached out with her mind and found Steven.

"Steven, the portal. It's open. Do you see it?"

Steven nodded. There was a light in the dream space that swirled and twisted. He looked at Peridot and smiled weakly. "Yes. Tell your sister I'm ready."

* * *

The pale peridot in the fusion looked at White. "We're ready. You can reach Steven through me, Thrall."

Thrall quivered then turned to Connie. "Listen. My assault on Steven is going to be brutal, vicious. He may not be able to survive. You can still save yourself if you leave the fusion now."

"Just get on with it!" she answered.

Thrall flickered one last time then enveloped the pale peridot. Thrall surged through her and into her sister where it paused briefly. "Fresh food," it thought, but this was wrong somehow. Besides, a far better meal awaited in the other gem. It pushed past the little peridot and entered Steven's gem.

Steven jerked as he felt the foreign mind enter his own. He stepped into the portal the little peridot was maintaining as it did and the two of them entered Pink's gem. His body went limp, his breathing stopped, and his heart fell silent.

"Hurry, Rose," the little peridot exclaimed as she felt them enter the gem in her hand.

* * *

Steven's mind expanded to fill the space of the gem. It was vast, though not as much as White's. The gem began to respond to Steven's presence. Fresh circuitry formed as it sought to integrate itself with the mind that it was to host. Steven felt his consciousness reach out to merge with the gem when suddenly a sound overwhelmed him. It was a song, more beautiful and more compelling than anything he'd ever imagined possible.

_"This is what I heard in the bubble back at the barn!"_ he thought. Only there was no bubble this time. There was nothing to protect him. The song enveloped him, caressed him, took him. With no way to resist its siren call, he gave himself over. He had lost the battle before it had even begun.


	98. No Higher Calling

Steven woke to a stabbing pain in his chest. "Ow!" he cried out as the tried to sit up then fell back into the bed.

Yellow looked embarrassed. "Sorry, Steven. That's my fault. You made it back into your body, but your heart was having a hard time stabilizing its rhythm. I had to shock you. I, um, may have over did it a little." She bit her lower lip as she wrung her hands together.

"A little!?! I'll say," Blue chimed in. "You were flapping around - what's that expression you humans like to use? 'Like a fish out of water.' Whatever that means. I had to drain off the excess charge before Yellow killed you herself." Yellow huffed and looked away, but she was more relieved than upset.

"Connie?"

"I'm here Steven." She was holding his hand. He turned to look at her, and she dabbed his forehead with a cloth. He realized someone was holding his other hand. He looked over to see Greg blubbering like a small child. He looked around and saw all of his gem friends gathered at the foot of his bed.

He tried to say "hello," but had barely opened his lips when they rushed him. They all spoke at once, and he had no idea what anyone said. Still, he knew what they were saying. It was all over their faces.

"You did it Steven," Connie said once the roomed quieted down. "You saved her."

Steven was confused. "No, I didn't! I was consumed by the song the instant I heard it! I never had a chance!"

"Perhaps I can help," a voice spoke up. It was melodic and kind. He looked up and saw a new gem in the room.

"Thrall? Is that you?"

She smiled. "I suppose so. I mean," she waggled her head and gave a self-deprecating smile, "that _was_ my whole shtick, after all. But that's such an ugly name, don't you think? It has all kinds of bad associations with it. Seriously, can you imagine Pearl calling me 'Thrall?' I don't think so."

She leaned in and spoke to him conspiratorially. It reminded him of Mother. "I think I have a better name in mind. How about you call me ..." She smirked. "Pink."

"Pink? Like in Pink Diamond?"

"In the gem! All thanks to you, Steven." She beamed. "No one expected this."

A small, pale green gem tentatively raised her hand.

"You weren't alone when you and I entered this gem."

"Who ... wait. Mom?"

The small, pale green gem nodded, but no one noticed.

"Yes - Rose. She was there with you. You never stood a chance, but she did. She was _made_ for this, remember? She was made to heal me."

"But, she shattered you."

"Well ... yes and no. She shattered the first version of me. A version of me that lacked the necessary organic core that all diamonds have with their pearls. She couldn't correct that version of me and ended up having to shatter me. It was all very sad, I'm sure."

She looked over at Mother. "But that was a mistake. Mother was desperate and did what she felt she had to do, but there was no way it could work. Not without a pearl. Never without a pearl."

Mother nodded her head in acknowledgment. "But Rose was able to heal this version of Pink."

"How?"

"Your mother gave me her core, Steven. She fused her gem with mine and gave me her organic core. I'm complete now. I don't have a pearl, true, but I have something just as good. I have Rose. Or, what's left of her anyway."

"Wait. What? What do you mean, _'what's left of her?'_ "

"Just that, Steven. She gave up her integral form to heal me. She fulfilled her purpose, Steven. She did what she was made to do."

"She's gone? Forever?"

"Steven! No! I've given you the wrong impression here! I'm so sorry! She's still here - with me! Her memories are intact. I am her continuation. She lives on with me! Oh, Steven, don't cry. It's okay. I didn't mean to upset you like this!"

Steven took a breath. "She's ... she's still alive then?"

"Well ... in me. She'll never be able to express herself as an individual, but I'm her, Steven. I'm also Thrall, and I'm also Pink. We're all here together."

Pink smiled broadly at Mother for a second then continued. "But there's more, Steven. So much more! I'm the gem Mother had hoped I would be. Rose's organic core - her living core, Steven! It's given me the ability to regenerate our kind! We can create a whole new generation of gems, thanks to you! You saved us, Steven! You saved all of us!"

Connie looked aghast. "Are you going to decimate more planets?"

Pink gave Connie an ironic look. "No. We've learned. There are many planets with organic compounds that will serve our needs that don't have life. We don't need to kill to live. We never did, we ... well, it just never occurred to us not to. Living planets are easier to exploit, that's all. But we can work around that. Steven showed us the value of all life, organic or gem. So, no. That will never happen again. You have my word."

"Why didn't anybody tell me this would happen?"

"No one knew, Steven."

The small, pale green gem was starting to get annoyed.

"That was something no one saw coming."

" _I did!_ " The small, pale green gem had had enough. "I knew the second I put my hand on both gems!" She stopped abruptly when she realized everyone in the room, human and gem, was staring at her. She gave a small, barely audible "eek" and poofed, her gem clattering to the floor.

Mother threw back her head and started to laugh. Her pent up emotions all flooded out once the dam had burst. She held her sides as she laughed, then cried and then she suddenly shuddered and fell apart. White Diamond looked around the room then rushed over to Pearl.

"Pearl! I didn't mean for this to happen yet. You still need to recover!"

"No. My diamond. It's okay. I'll be fine. Besides, I want to speak to Steven myself. I'll rejoin you in a second, okay?"

White nodded reluctantly. "Well," she said, recovering her composure. " _That's_ never happened before. I mean, really. How undignified." She smiled to herself then turned to her peridot. "Take care of your sister, dear. She's special."

The pale gem swelled with pride as she collected her sister's gem and cradled it. "Yes, my diamond. She is."

"Steven ... Oh, Steven!" Pearl reached down and gave Steven a huge hug. Anything she'd thought to say was lost to her. He grunted from the pain in his chest, but he refused to release her. They embraced for a near eternity then Pearl finally stood.

"I need to fuse with White again, Steven. I'm still weak from all of this, and that is the best way for me to recover. But I'll be back."

"Okay, Pearl," Steven said, reluctant to see her go. Pearl walked over to White and fell into her arms. White smiled and looked at Steven as they rejoined.

"Steven," a familiar voice filled the room. He turned and looked.

"Mom? I ... I thought you said you couldn't express yourself like this!"

"Pink overstated things. I'm losing my ability to do this, and soon it won't be possible, but I wanted to see you for myself once before I become fully assimilated. I spoke with Greg like this earlier. It was a really slobbery time between us, but he understands. I want you to understand too.

"Steven. This is my purpose. This is what I was made to do. There is no higher calling for a gem than to fulfill her purpose. I'm still with you Steven, and I am content. I healed Pink, and now I can watch you live your life. Your human life, Steven."

"My what?"

Connie lowered the blanket and gestured to his shirt. He lifted it and saw a pink circle of flesh where his gem used to be.

"I ... I don't understand."

"You're human now, Steven. Like your father. Like Connie. When I gave up my gem to heal Pink, I had to remove it from your body. I healed you with my tears, Steven. And now ... well, now you can live a normal human life."

"But, what about Stevonnie? How will we fuse?"

Mother laughed. "Well, there's fusion, and then there's fusion. Ask your dad!"

"Mother!" Rose scolded. "Please!" She turned back to Steven and Connie with a smirk. "But, seriously. You really should ask Greg about that. Steven, it's time. I can't sustain this much longer. There's one last thing to do before I have to return to Pink's form."

She lifted Steven into her arms, ignoring his protestations of pain and walked over to Greg. "Someone take a photo! No - wait. Connie? What are you doing over there? Get in the picture! Hurry!"

Connie jumped and rushed to join them as Garnet took a photo with her phone.


	99. Epilogue

Klatos waited in his cell. They were preparing his new body, and when it was ready, they'd transfer his mind into it. They wanted his punishment to linger, and this body wouldn't stand the rigors of the torture chambers.

There was no escape. He knew - he'd designed this prison himself. All that was left for him was to await his fate.

He heard the shuffle of feet outside the cell. That was odd - the guards never came around this time of night. He listened as they came closer then a figure appeared. It put something in the transfer chamber and pressed a panel on the wall. The object moved through the barrier and into his cell.

"Lord Klatos," the figure called out in a quiet whisper.

"Who are you?"

"I am a loyal servant, Sire. I'm here to help."

"Are you here to help me escape?"

"No, I cannot do that. The precautions are too great for that. I bring you this gift instead."

"What is it, some way for me to kill myself?"

"No, Sire. It is an ancient bit of gem tech long forgotten."

"Oh? What does it do?"

"It is something they called a 'time-glass.' It's an early prototype. We've never used it as our reports said it was defective and dangerous."

"So why bring it to me?"

"Sire. Your fate is assured. We both know this. What have you to lose?"

Klatos looked at the figure then back to the device. It looked like an hourglass, but without any sand. It was housed in a small glass box with a single button on top. He shrugged and pressed it. He was gone in a flash of light.

* * *

The landscape looked familiar yet foreign. It had taken a while before he realized what he was seeing. It was his home planet but centuries before his own birth. He laughed but stopped when he rested his hand on a column to catch his breath. His hand suddenly began to penetrate the rock. He stared for several seconds then jerked it back out when he felt the rock begin to harden around it. He was fading in and out of this reality. It wouldn't do to have his hand stuck in a bit of brick and mortar.

He wandered the countryside until the found the site of the ancient library. Except there wasn't one, at least not like what he recalled. Just a room with some old books and scrolls, nothing that seemed important. He would change that.

He grabbed a bit of parchment and began to write. He told his story and tried to give warning of what is to come but failed to realize he was writing in a language that didn't exist. He was tens of thousands of years ahead of himself - no one would be able to make sense of this.

By the time he understood the problem, it was too late. His material presence in this world was becoming increasingly tenuous, and he realized he was running out of time. He struggled to recall the old dialect, a language so old he could barely remember it. He grabbed another parchment and wrote out the law of The Least. He placed it where the history books said it would be found then stepped back.

He watched as his body began to fade until all that was left was his awareness. It was enough. He found his way back to his ancestral house and waited. The prophecy was discovered, deciphered and eventually became revered scripture. He waited as one generation after the next abandoned the last born to the desert to die.

He waited until his own birth. He watched as he was banished to the desert then waited for his inevitable return. He tasted bile at the thought of the life that had been stolen from him. Brother Klatos - a life he was as well suited for as any. Perhaps more so. But it wasn't to be. The enemy was coming, and they would prevail unless his earlier self took up arms. It was up to him to survive to save his kind.

He waited as the bombs fell and he saw his body become trapped under rubble. It was then that he knew the time had come. He must convince this peaceful monk to abandon that life and assume his true destiny.

_"Lord Klatos. Why are you here?"_


End file.
